Shloka 24
दुर्योधनस्य प्रायोपवेशः — शकुनिसान्त्वनम् तथा कृत्याह्वानम्
Duryodhana’s Fast: Śakuni’s Consolation and the Summoning of a Kṛtyā
ततः प्रहसिता: सर्वे तेडन्योन्यस्य तलान् ददुः । तदेव च विनिश्चित्य ददृशु: कुरुसत्तमम्,तदनन्तर वे सब-के-सब अपनी योजनाको सफल होती देख हँसने और एक-दूसरेके हाथपर प्रसन्नतासे ताली देने लगे। फिर यही निश्चय करके वे तीनों कुरुश्रेष्ठ राजा धृतराष्ट्रसे मिले
tataḥ prahasitāḥ sarve te ’nyonyasya talān daduḥ | tadeva ca viniścitya dadṛśuḥ kurusattamam ||
Then all of them burst into laughter, seeing their plan succeed, and in delight they clapped one another’s hands. Having thus settled on that very course of action, they went to meet the best of the Kurus (King Dhṛtarāṣṭra).
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how collective excitement over a ‘successful plan’ can quickly turn into group reinforcement (mutual clapping), which may dull ethical scrutiny. In the Mahābhārata’s moral landscape, such moments often signal the need to examine intention (saṅkalpa) and consequence (phala) before acting—especially when approaching a king or authority.
After agreeing upon a particular course of action, the group becomes openly pleased—laughing and clapping each other’s hands in approval—and then proceeds to meet Dhṛtarāṣṭra, referred to as ‘the best of the Kurus.’ The line functions as a transition: decision → celebration → audience with the king.