Shloka 3
भीष्म-पर्व अध्याय १०० — त्रिगर्त-आक्रमण, भीष्म-केन्द्रित पुनर्संयोजन, तथा शक्त्यस्त्र-विनिमय
ततो दुर्योधनो राजा सर्वास्तानाह मन्त्रिण: | सूतपुत्र॑ समाभाष्य सौबलं च महाबलम्,उस समय राजा दुर्योधनने सूतपुत्र कर्ण तथा महाबली शकुनिको सम्बोधित करके उन सब मन्त्रियोंसे कहा--
tato duryodhano rājā sarvāstān āha mantriṇaḥ | sūtaputraṃ samābhāṣya saubalaṃ ca mahābalam ||
Then King Duryodhana, having first addressed Karṇa—the son of a charioteer—and also Śakuni of the Saubala line, a man of great strength, spoke to all those ministers. The scene underscores Duryodhana’s reliance on close, partisan counsel at a decisive moment of war, where strategy and ambition begin to override ethical restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how leadership choices are shaped by whom one consults: Duryodhana turns to partisan allies (Karṇa and Śakuni) and then addresses his ministers, suggesting that counsel aligned with ambition can steer decisions away from dharma and toward escalation.
Sañjaya narrates that Duryodhana, in the war setting, first speaks with Karṇa and Śakuni and then addresses the assembled ministers, preparing to issue counsel or directives for the unfolding conflict.