Shloka 7
शल्यस्य सेनापत्याभ्युपगमः | Śalya’s Acceptance of Command
राज्याद् विनिकृतो<स्माभि: कथं सो<स्मासु विश्वसेत् । अक्षयूते च नृपतिर्जितोडस्माभिमहाधन:
rājyād vinikṛto ’smābhiḥ kathaṃ so ’smāsu viśvaset | akṣayūte ca nṛpatir jito ’smābhir mahādhanaḥ ||
संजय ने कहा— हमने ही उसे राज्य से वंचित किया है; फिर वह हम पर कैसे विश्वास करेगा? और अक्ष-युद्ध (जूए) में भी वह महाधनी नरेश हमारे द्वारा ही पराजित किया गया था।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Wrongdoing destroys moral credibility: those who dispossess and humiliate another—especially through deceitful means like the dice-game—cannot reasonably expect trust. The verse highlights the ethical consequence of adharma: loss of confidence and legitimacy.
Sañjaya reflects on the Kauravas’ past actions: they took away the king’s realm and defeated him in the dice-game. He argues that, given these injuries, it is natural that the wronged king would not trust them.