Shloka 10
वैशम्पायन उवाच शकुनेस्तु वच: श्रुत्वा दःशासनमवेक्ष्य च
vaiśampāyana uvāca śakunes tu vacaḥ śrutvā duḥśāsanam avekṣya ca
Vaiśampāyana said: Having heard Śakuni’s words, and then casting his gaze upon Duḥśāsana—this was the moment when counsel hardened into resolve, when manipulative advice sought an instrument ready to act, foreshadowing deeds ethically fraught, driven by factional loyalty rather than dharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how unethical outcomes often begin with speech—counsel that appeals to ambition or resentment—and then move to action by selecting a willing agent. It implicitly warns that listening and assenting to manipulative advice is an early step away from dharma.
The narrator notes a sequence: someone hears Śakuni’s words and then looks toward Duḥśāsana, indicating that Śakuni’s counsel is being taken seriously and that Duḥśāsana is being drawn in as the likely executor of what is being proposed.