Shloka 23

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्‍्त्वा तु राजानं कर्ण: शकुनिना सह । तृष्णीम्बभूवतुरुभौ वाक्यान्ते जनमेजय,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! शकुनि और कर्ण दोनों राजा दुर्योधनसे ऐसा कहकर (अपनी बात पूरी होनेपर) चुप हो गये

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: evam uktvā tu rājānaṃ Karṇaḥ Śakuninā saha | tṛṣṇīm babhūvatur ubhau vākyānte, Janamejaya ||

Translation

Waiśampāyana berkata: Setelah berkata demikian kepada sang raja, Karṇa bersama Śakuni pun terdiam. Ketika kata-kata mereka berakhir, keduanya menjadi sunyi—wahai Janamejaya.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

एवम्thus

उक्त्वाhaving said

तुbut/indeed

राजानम्the king

कर्णःKarna

शकुनिनाwith Śakuni / by Śakuni (as companion)

सहtogether with

तृष्णीम्silently

बभूवतुःbecame / remained

उभौboth

वाक्य-अन्तेat the end of (their) speech

जनमेजयO Janamejaya

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Janamejaya

Karṇa

Śakuni

Duryodhana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Counsel and persuasion in politics often end with the advisers withdrawing into silence, leaving the ruler responsible for the ethical burden of action. The verse highlights accountability: after advice is given, the king must choose in accordance with dharma—or accept the consequences of ignoring it.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates to Janamejaya that Karṇa and Śakuni, after speaking to the king (Duryodhana), stop speaking. Their counsel is complete, and both fall silent at the end of their speech.