अध्याय ९ — कर्णस्य प्रहारः, योधयुग्मनियोजनम्, शैनेय-कैकेययोर्युद्धविन्यासः
सह गान्धारराजेन सभायां यदभाषत
saha gāndhārarājena sabhāyāṃ yad abhāṣata
Dia mengisahkan kembali apa yang telah diucapkan dalam dewan diraja bersama raja Gandhāra—menunjukkan bahawa nasihat dan kata-kata di istana mampu membentuk haluan perang, serta menanggung beban tanggungjawab moral pada mereka yang menasihati dan memutuskan.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Speech in the assembly is not neutral: words of counsel and persuasion carry ethical weight, because they influence decisions that can lead to harm or justice, especially in wartime.
Vaiśampāyana indicates that he is reporting what was said in the royal court, in the presence of (and along with) the king of Gandhāra—framing the ensuing account as courtly deliberation and dialogue.