Shloka 12
धृतराष्ट्रस्य संजयप्रश्नः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Inquiry to Saṃjaya on Strategic Comparisons
यथा श्रुतं ते वदतो महात्मनो मधुप्रवीरस्य वच: समाहितम् | तथैव वाच्यं भवता हि मद्वच: समागतेषु क्षितिपेषु सर्वश:
yathā śrutaṃ te vadato mahātmano madhupravīrasya vacaḥ samāhitam | tathaiva vācyaṃ bhavatā hi madvacaḥ samāgateṣu kṣitipeṣu sarvaśaḥ |
Wahai Sañjaya, sebagaimana engkau mendengarnya—kata-kata yang diucapkan dengan pikiran terpusat oleh sang mahatma, pahlawan utama wangsa Madhu, Śrī Kṛṣṇa—demikian pula engkau harus mengulanginya tepat seperti itu. Lalu, di tengah seluruh perhimpunan raja-raja yang telah berkumpul, sampaikan pula pesanku ini ke segala penjuru.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes faithful, unbiased transmission of speech—reporting exactly what was heard, especially in matters of statecraft where truthfulness and precision shape ethical and political outcomes.
Sañjaya frames an instruction to a messenger: Kṛṣṇa’s carefully spoken words must be repeated verbatim, and an additional message from the speaker is to be announced before the gathered kings, reflecting the tense diplomatic setting before war.