Shloka 6
भीमस्य जलान्वेषणं तथा वनविश्रान्तिः
Bhīma’s Search for Water and the Forest Halt
दुर्योधनश्व कर्णश्न युयुत्सुश्न महाबल: । दुःशासनो विकर्णश्रव जलसंध: सुलोचन:
duryodhanaś ca karṇaś ca yuyutsuś ca mahābalaḥ | duḥśāsano vikarṇaś ca jalaṃdhaḥ sulochanaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Duryodhana and Karṇa, and Yuyutsu of great strength; also Duḥśāsana and Vikarṇa, along with Jalaṃdha and Sulochana—these were among those being enumerated. The verse functions as a roll-call of key Kaurava figures, foreshadowing the consolidation of power and the moral tensions that will later culminate in open conflict.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse itself is primarily enumerative, but its ethical significance lies in how the epic frames individuals within a power bloc: names like Duryodhana and Duḥśāsana signal adharma-driven ambition, while figures such as Yuyutsu (and at times Vikarṇa) later complicate the moral picture by showing that personal conscience can diverge from group loyalty.
Vaiśampāyana is listing prominent Kaurava-associated figures. This cataloging situates the audience within the political and familial landscape, preparing for subsequent events where these characters’ alliances and choices become decisive.