Shloka 29
भीष्मस्य सेनापत्यप्रतिज्ञा तथा रथसंख्यावर्णनम् | Bhishma Accepts Command and Enumerates Kaurava Strength
मम विप्रियकर्तारं कैतव्य ब्रूहि कौरवम्
mama vipriyakartāraṁ kaitavya brūhi kauravam, śrutaṁ vākyaṁ gṛhīto 'rtho mataṁ yat te tathāstu tat.
Sanjaya said: “O deceitful one, tell that Kaurava—Duryodhana, who acts against my welfare: ‘Your message has been heard, and its intent has been understood. Let it be as you wish.’”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral weight of intention and communication in diplomacy: a message may be formally acknowledged (“heard and understood”), yet the ethical stance is conveyed through pointed address—branding deceit and hostility—showing that speech can both transmit information and judge character.
Sanjaya instructs Uluka, the Kaurava messenger, to report back to Duryodhana. He says the message has been received and understood, but the wording frames Duryodhana as one who acts against him and calls the envoy deceitful, signaling hardened positions as war approaches.