Shloka 13
सेनापति-निर्णयः तथा पाण्डवसेनायाः कुरुक्षेत्रगमनम्
Decision on Command and the Pandavas’ March to Kurukshetra
द्यूततो धार्तराष्ट्राणां निन््दां कृत्वा तथा पुनः । भेदयित्वा नृपान् सर्वान् वाम्भिर्मन्त्रेण चासकृत्
dyūtato dhārtarāṣṭrāṇāṁ nindāṁ kṛtvā tathā punaḥ | bhedayitvā nṛpān sarvān vāgbhir mantreṇa cāsakṛt ||
Setelah mencela putra-putra Dhṛtarāṣṭra karena perjudian, lalu sekali lagi—dengan kata-kata dan musyawarah rahasia yang berulang—menabur perpecahan di antara semua raja, ia pun melangkah lebih jauh.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how unethical conduct (here, the Kauravas’ gambling) becomes a legitimate ground for moral censure, and how speech and secret counsel can be used—rightly or wrongly—as powerful instruments to fracture alliances. It implicitly warns that manipulative rhetoric and covert strategy can inflame conflict even before weapons are raised.
Vāyu describes a sequence of political actions: first condemning the Kauravas for the dice-game, then repeatedly using persuasive speech and confidential counsel to create divisions among the assembled kings. The verse portrays the deliberate shaping of the political field through blame and alliance-splitting.