Shloka 8
अध्याय ४६ — सभाप्रवेशः तथा सञ्जयस्य दूतवृत्तान्तः
Entry into the Royal Assembly and Sañjaya’s Envoy Report
धृतराष्ट्रं पुरस्कृत्य विविशुस्तां सभां शुभाम् | भरतश्रेष्ठ! भीष्म, द्रोण, कृपाचार्य, शल्य, कृतवर्मा, जयद्रथ, अश्वत्थामा, विकर्ण, सोमदत्त, बाह्लिक, परम बुद्धिमान् विदुर, महारथी युयुत्सु तथा अन्य सभी शूरवीर नरेश धृतराष्ट्रको आगे करके उस सुन्दर सभामें एक साथ प्रविष्ट हुए ।। ६-७ ह ।। दुःशासनश्रित्रसेन: शकुनिश्चापि सौबल:
vaiśampāyana uvāca | dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ puraskṛtya viviśus tāṃ sabhāṃ śubhām | bharataśreṣṭha! bhīṣma-droṇa-kṛpācārya-śalya-kṛtavarmā-jayadrathāśvatthāmā-vikarṇa-somadatta-bāhlikaḥ paramabuddhimān viduraḥ mahārathī yuyutsuḥ tathā anye ca sarve śūrā nṛpā dhṛtarāṣṭram agre kṛtvā ekasmin kāle tāṃ sundarāṃ sabhāṃ praviṣṭāḥ || duḥśāsanaś citrasenaḥ śakuniś cāpi saubalaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Placing Dhṛtarāṣṭra at their head, they all entered that auspicious royal assembly. O best of the Bharatas—Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Kṛpa, Śalya, Kṛtavarmā, Jayadratha, Aśvatthāmā, Vikarṇa, Somadatta, Bāhlika, the supremely wise Vidura, the great chariot-warrior Yuyutsu, and many other heroic kings—making Dhṛtarāṣṭra go before them, entered together into that splendid hall. (Also present were) Duḥśāsana, Citrasena, and Śakuni, the son of Subala.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethics of kingship and counsel: major elders, warriors, and the wise Vidura assemble with Dhṛtarāṣṭra placed foremost, signaling that political decisions—especially those leading toward war—are made in formal court under the king’s authority, and that the presence of both wise advisers and partisan instigators shapes the moral direction of the state.
A large group of Kuru leaders and allied kings enter the royal assembly hall together, with Dhṛtarāṣṭra leading. The text lists prominent figures—elders like Bhīṣma and Droṇa, advisers like Vidura, warriors like Yuyutsu, and also key antagonists such as Duḥśāsana and Śakuni—setting the stage for deliberations in the Udyoga Parva as the conflict approaches.