Shloka 17
Daitya-āśvāsana of Duryodhana; Karṇa’s assurance and the mobilization of the Kaurava host
तस्माद् गच्छन्तु पुरुषा: स्मारणायाप्तकारिण: । न स्वयं तत्र गमनं रोचये तव भारत,अतः भरतनन्दन! दूसरे विश्वसनीय पुरुष गौओंकी गणना करनेके लिये वहाँ चले जायँगे। स्वयं तुम्हारा वहाँ जाना मुझे ठीक नहीं जान पड़ता
tasmād gacchantu puruṣāḥ smāraṇāyāptakāriṇaḥ | na svayaṃ tatra gamanaṃ rocaye tava bhārata ||
अतः भरतनन्दन! जो विश्वसनीय पुरुष सौंपे गए कार्य को ठीक-ठीक करने वाले हों, वे ही वहाँ जाकर स्मरण-गणना (जैसे गौओं की गिनती) कर लें; परन्तु तुम्हारा स्वयं वहाँ जाना मुझे उचित नहीं जान पड़ता।
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Prudent governance: sensitive or potentially risky tasks should be delegated to reliable, proven agents (āptakāriṇaḥ), and a leader should avoid unnecessary personal involvement when it may lead to danger, controversy, or ethical complications.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra advises the addressed Bhārata not to go personally to a certain place; instead, he recommends sending trustworthy men to perform the needed accounting/recording task (implied in the Hindi gloss as counting cattle).