Shloka 8
Adhyāya 152: Kaurava-sainyavibhāgaḥ
Division and Standardization of the Kaurava Host
वैशम्पायन उवाच प्रतियाते तु दाशाहें राजा दुर्योधनस्तदा । कर्ण दुःशासनं चैव शकुनिं चाब्रवीदिदम्,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन्! भगवान् श्रीकृष्णके चले जानेपर उस समय राजा दुर्योधनने कर्ण, दःशासन और शकुनिसे इस प्रकार कहा--
vaiśampāyana uvāca
pratiyāte tu dāśārhe rājā duryodhanas tadā |
karṇa duḥśāsanaṃ caiva śakuniṃ cābravīd idam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: When Dāśārha (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) had departed, King Duryodhana then addressed Karṇa, Duḥśāsana, and Śakuni in these words—setting in motion counsel that would harden their resolve and hasten the path toward war rather than reconciliation.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a moral turning point: after Kṛṣṇa’s departure (the failed peace effort), Duryodhana turns to his closest allies for counsel, signaling a choice to rely on partisan strategy and pride rather than dharmic reconciliation—an ethical setup for the ensuing catastrophe.
Kṛṣṇa (called Dāśārha) has left after the peace negotiations. Immediately afterward, Duryodhana convenes Karṇa, Duḥśāsana, and Śakuni and begins speaking to them, preparing the next course of action that leads toward war.