Shloka 13
मृदुपूर्व शठोदर्क कर्णमाभाष्य कौरव: । तब कुरुराज दुर्योधनने कर्णसे सलाह लेकर कौरवसभामें श्रीकृष्णसे पूछा। पूछते समय उसकी वाणीमें पहले तो मृदुता थी, परंतु अन्तमें शठता प्रकट होने लगी थी ।। १२ ६ || कस्मादन्नानि पानानि वासांसि शयनानि च
mṛdu-pūrva-śaṭhodarkaṃ karṇam ābhāṣya kauravaḥ | tataḥ kuru-rājo duryodhanena karṇa-sahāyaṃ kṛtvā kaurava-sabhāyāṃ śrī-kṛṣṇaṃ papraccha | pṛcchataḥ samaye tasya vāṇyāṃ pūrvaṃ mṛdutā āsīt, ante tu śaṭhatā prakaṭībhavatīti || kasmād annāni pānāni vāsāṃsi śayanāni ca
Vaiśampāyana said: The Kaurava (Duryodhana), after first addressing Karṇa with gentle words that gradually revealed a crafty intent, then—taking Karṇa’s counsel and support—questioned Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the Kaurava assembly. His speech began with softness, but as he pressed his point, deceit became evident. He asked: “For what reason are food and drink, garments, and beds (being provided/arranged)?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical warning about speech and intention: outward gentleness can mask inner duplicity. In dharma-discourse, the moral quality of a question depends not only on its words but on the motive behind it—here, Duryodhana’s tone shifts from polite to deceitful, signaling adharma in diplomacy.
In the Kaurava court during the pre-war negotiations, Duryodhana first consults/addresses Karṇa and then questions Kṛṣṇa before the assembly. He asks why provisions—food, drink, clothing, and beds—are being arranged, implying suspicion and political maneuvering around Kṛṣṇa’s presence and the unfolding embassy.