Shloka 18
द्रोणानीक-व्यतिक्रमः — Kṛṣṇa–Arjuna Break Through Droṇa’s Array
तमार्तमभिसंप्रेक्ष्य राजा किल स सैन्धव: । मृदु चात्महितं चैव साक्षेपमिदमुक्तवान्,“दुर्योधनको उद्विग्नचित्त देखकर सिन्धुराज जयद्रथने व्यंग्य करते हुए कोमल वाणीमें अपने हितकी बात इस प्रकार कही--
tam ārtam abhisamprekṣya rājā kila sa saindhavaḥ | mṛdu cātmahitaṃ caiva sākṣepam idam uktavān |
Sañjaya said: Seeing him distressed, the king—Jayadratha of Sindhu—spoke in a gentle tone, yet with pointed insinuation, uttering words calculated for his own advantage.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how speech can be outwardly gentle yet inwardly self-serving and barbed. It implicitly warns that ethical evaluation of counsel must consider motive (ātmahita) and intent (sākṣepa), not merely tone (mṛdu).
Sañjaya narrates that Jayadratha, noticing Duryodhana’s agitation and distress, addresses him. Although he uses soft words, he speaks with a taunting insinuation and frames his counsel to serve his own advantage, setting up the content of Jayadratha’s forthcoming speech.