Shloka 23
दुर्योधनस्य प्रायोपवेशः — शकुनिसान्त्वनम् तथा कृत्याह्वानम्
Duryodhana’s Fast: Śakuni’s Consolation and the Summoning of a Kṛtyā
घोषा द्वैतवने सर्वे त्वत्प्रतीक्षा नराधिप । घोषयात्रापदेशेन गमिष्यामो न संशय:,“नरेश्वरर गौओंके रहनेके सभी स्थान इस समय द्वैतवनमें ही हैं और वहाँ तुम्हारे पधारनेकी सदा प्रतीक्षा की जाती है; अतः घोषयात्राके बहाने हम वहाँ निःसंदेह चल सकेंगे”
ghoṣā dvaitavane sarve tvatpratīkṣā narādhipa | ghoṣayātrāpadeśena gamiṣyāmo na saṁśayaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Oh rey, todas las estaciones de ganado están ahora reunidas en Dvaitavana, y allí se aguarda continuamente tu llegada. Por eso, con el pretexto de una gira por los campamentos de reses (ghoṣayātrā), sin duda podremos ir allá.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights pragmatic statecraft: leaders and their advisers may use socially acceptable reasons (like inspecting cattle-stations) to pursue sensitive movements. Ethically, it raises the tension between straightforward conduct and strategic concealment in governance.
The speaker explains to the king that the cattle-stations are currently in Dvaitavana and that the people there are expecting his visit. Hence, they can travel to Dvaitavana without arousing suspicion by presenting the journey as a routine ghoṣayātrā (inspection of cattle camps).