Shloka 2
Rājasūyābhiṣeka-darśana: Duryodhana’s Observation of the Consecration
प्रियकृन्मतमाज्ञाय पूर्व दुर्योधनस्य तत् । प्रज्ञाचक्षुपमासीनं शकुनि: सौबलस्तदा,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! गान्धारीपुत्र दुर्योधनके सहित सुबलनन्दन शकुनि राजा युधिष्ठटिरके राजसूय महायज्ञका उत्सव देखकर जब लौटा, तब पहले दुर्योधनके अपने अनुकूल मतको जानकर और उसकी पूरी बातें सुनकर सिंहासनपर बैठे हुए प्रज्ञाचक्षु महाप्राज्ञ राजा धृतराष्ट्रके पास जाकर इस प्रकार बोला
priyakṛnmatam ājñāya pūrvaṁ duryodhanasya tat | prajñācakṣum āsīnaṁ śakuniḥ saubalastadā ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Setelah lebih dulu memastikan niat Duryodhana yang sejalan dengannya, Śakuni putra Subala lalu mendekati Dhṛtarāṣṭra yang duduk di singgasana—“bermata kebijaksanaan” meski buta. Di sanalah Śakuni mulai menggerakkan nasihat yang condong pada pihak putra, bukan pada dharma yang tak memihak.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how counsel can be ethically compromised when it begins by aligning with what is merely ‘pleasing’ (priyakṛt) rather than what is right. It implicitly warns that advice given to power, when driven by partisanship and desire, can become a vehicle for adharma.
Śakuni, after first understanding and adopting Duryodhana’s preferred intention, goes to the blind king Dhṛtarāṣṭra (called prajñācakṣuḥ, ‘wise-eyed’) who is seated in court, preparing to speak in a way that supports Duryodhana’s agenda.