Shloka 13
सभा-पर्यवसान-प्रस्थानवचनम् | Counsel at the Point of Departure
जितां वाप्यजितां वापि मन्यध्वं मां यथा नृपा: । तथा प्रत्युक्तमिच्छामि तत् करिष्यामि कौरवा:
jitāṃ vāpy ajitāṃ vāpi manyadhvaṃ māṃ yathā nṛpāḥ | tathā pratyuktam icchāmi tat kariṣyāmi kauravāḥ ||
Wahai para raja keturunan Kuru! Nyatakan penilaian kalian—apakah aku telah dimenangkan atau tidak dimenangkan. Aku ingin mendengar jawaban yang pasti dari mulut kalian sendiri; lalu sesuai jawaban itu, aku akan bertindak.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A public decision affecting another person’s status must rest on clear, truthful speech and accountable judgment. The verse foregrounds ethical responsibility in the royal assembly: rulers must state plainly what they believe to be right, and actions should follow a transparent, reasoned answer rather than coercion or ambiguity.
In the Kuru court context following the dice-game dispute, a crucial question is posed to the assembled kings: whether the woman in question has been ‘won’ or ‘not won.’ The speaker demands an explicit ruling from the Kauravas and declares that subsequent action will be taken in accordance with that ruling.