Shloka 54
भीष्मस्य सेनापत्यप्रतिज्ञा तथा रथसंख्यावर्णनम् | Bhishma Accepts Command and Enumerates Kaurava Strength
कैतव्यस्य तु तद् वाक्यं निशम्य भरतर्षभ: । दुःशासनं च कर्ण च शकुनिं चापि भारत,भारत! उलूकका वह कथन सुनकर भरतश्रेष्ठ दुर्योधनने दुःशासन, कर्ण तथा शकुनिसे कहा--
kaitavyasya tu tad vākyaṃ niśamya bharatarṣabhaḥ | duḥśāsanaṃ ca karṇaṃ ca śakuniṃ cāpi bhārata ||
Sañjaya berkata: Mendengar pernyataan Kaitavya (Ulūka) itu, sang banteng di antara kaum Bhārata, Duryodhana, pun berbicara kepada Duḥśāsana, Karṇa, dan juga Śakuni.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical pattern: when a leader is driven by partisanship and ambition, he instinctively consults those who reinforce his chosen course. It cautions that counsel shapes action, and that seeking only confirming voices can accelerate adharma and conflict.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana, after hearing Kaitavya’s words, turns to his key supporters—Duḥśāsana, Karṇa, and Śakuni—and speaks to them, indicating a move toward coordinated decision-making among the Kaurava hardliners.