Shloka 26
Virāṭa-sabhāyāṃ Saṃniveśaḥ — Assembly at Virāṭa’s Hall and Kṛṣṇa’s Diplomatic Counsel
समाददे वाक्यमथाग्रजो<5स्य सम्पूज्य वाक्यं तदतीव राजन्
samādade vākyam athāgrajo 'sya sampūjya vākyam tad atīva rājan | rājan bhagavān śrīkṛṣṇaka dharma-artha-yuktaṃ madhuraṃ ca ubhaya-pakṣayoḥ samānarūpataḥ hitakaraṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā tasya jyeṣṭha-bhrātā balarāmaḥ tasya bhāṣaṇasya bhūri-bhūri praśaṃsāṃ kṛtvā svam vaktavyam ārabhata ||
Alors son frère aîné, après avoir honoré et hautement loué ce discours, se mit à parler, ô Roi. Car lorsque furent entendues les paroles du Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa—fondées sur le dharma et sur l’art du gouvernement, douces dans le ton et, sans parti pris, salutaires aux deux camps—Balarāma loua cette adresse maintes et maintes fois, puis commença son propre propos.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ideal counsel should unite dharma (moral right) with artha (practical governance), be gentle in expression, and aim at the welfare of all parties rather than partisan gain.
After Krishna delivers a balanced, welfare-oriented speech, his elder brother Balarama respectfully praises it repeatedly and then begins to present his own viewpoint.