Shloka 23
दुर्योधनस्य लज्जा-प्रायोपवेशविचारः
Duryodhana’s Shame and Consideration of Prāyopaveśa
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
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: evam uktvā tu rājānaṃ Karṇaḥ Śakuninā saha | tṛṣṇīm babhūvatur ubhau vākyānte, Janamejaya ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Having thus spoken to the king, Karṇa, together with Śakuni, fell silent. When their words had come to an end, both of them became quiet—O Janamejaya. The moment underscores how counsel in royal courts often culminates not in resolution but in a charged silence, leaving the king to bear the moral weight of the decision that follows.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.