Shloka 15

दुर्योधनस्य प्रायोपवेशः — शकुनिसान्त्वनम् तथा कृत्याह्वानम्

Duryodhana’s Fast: Śakuni’s Consolation and the Summoning of a Kṛtyā

Devanagari script

“मैं भी आज ही जाने या न जानेके विषयमें कोई निश्चय करके कल सबेरा होते ही महाराजके पास जाऊँगा ।। मयि तत्रोपविष्टे तु भीष्मे च कुरुसत्तमे । उपायो यो भवेद्‌ दृष्टस्तं ब्रूया: सहसौबल:,“जब मैं वहाँ बैठ जाऊँ और कुरुश्रेष्ठ भीष्मजी भी उपस्थित रहें, उस समय जो उपाय दिखायी दे, उसे तुम और शकुनि--दोनों बतलाना

Transliteration

mayi tatropaviṣṭe tu bhīṣme ca kurusattame | upāyo yo bhaved dṛṣṭas taṃ brūyāḥ saha-saubalaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana dijo: «Cuando yo esté sentado allí, y Bhīṣma —el mejor de los Kurus— también esté presente, entonces la medida que en ese momento parezca posible, proponedla vosotros junto con Saubala (Śakuni)».

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'mayi', 'definition': "when I

• with me (locative of 'aham')"}, {'term': 'tatra', 'definition': 'there

• in that place/assembly'}, {'term': 'upaviṣṭe', 'definition': 'having sat down

• seated (locative absolute sense)'}, {'term': 'tu', 'definition': 'but

• indeed (emphatic/contrastive particle)'}, {'term': 'bhīṣme', 'definition': 'when Bhīṣma (is present) (locative)'}, {'term': 'ca', 'definition': 'and'}, {'term': 'kurusattame', 'definition': 'O best of the Kurus (vocative

• epithet)'}, {'term': 'upāyaḥ', 'definition': 'means

• plan'}, {'term': 'yaḥ', 'definition': 'which

• whatever'}, {'term': 'bhavet', 'definition': 'may be

• could be (optative of √bhū)'}, {'term': 'dṛṣṭaḥ', 'definition': 'seen

• found (as workable)'}, {'term': 'tam', 'definition': 'that (plan/means)'}, {'term': 'brūyāḥ', 'definition': 'you should say/tell/propose (optative of √brū)'}, {'term': 'saha-saubalaḥ', 'definition': 'together with Saubala (Śakuni, son of Subala)'}]

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Bhīṣma
• Kuru (dynasty/people)
• Saubala (Śakuni)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the political ethic of deliberation: when senior authority (Bhīṣma) is present, proposed actions should be framed as practical 'upāya' (expedient means) and presented responsibly in council—showing how power often seeks legitimacy through the presence of revered elders.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker indicates that once he is seated in the assembly and Bhīṣma is also present, the advisers—especially Saubala (Śakuni) along with the addressed person—should put forward whatever workable plan they can perceive at that time, emphasizing coordinated counsel in a tense political setting.