Shloka 23

Devanagari script

दुर्योधन! तुम ये सारी बातें पिताजीसे कहो। उनकी आज्ञा मिल जानेपर मैं निःसंदेह पाण्डवोंको जीत लूँगा ।। दुर्योधन उवाच त्वमेव कुरुमुख्याय धृतराष्ट्राय सौबल । निवेदय यथान्यायं नाहं शक्ष्ये निवेदितुम्‌,दुर्योधनने कहा--सुबलनन्दन! आप ही कुरुकुलके प्रधान महाराज धृतराष्ट्रसे इन सब बातोंको यथोचित रूपसे कहिये। मैं स्वयं कुछ नहीं कह सकूँगा

Transliteration

duryodhana uvāca | tvam eva kurumukhyāya dhṛtarāṣṭrāya saubala | nivedaya yathānyāyaṃ nāhaṃ śakṣye niveditum ||

Translation

Duryodhana berkata: “Saubala, engkau sendiri hendaklah menyampaikan semua ini, dengan cara yang wajar, kepada Dhṛtarāṣṭra, pemuka kaum Kuru. Aku tidak mampu menyampaikannya sendiri.”

Word by Word

दुर्योधनःDuryodhana

उवाचsaid

त्वम्you

एवindeed/only

कुरुमुख्यायto the chief of the Kurus

धृतराष्ट्रायto Dhṛtarāṣṭra

सौबलO Saubala (son of Subala)

निवेदयinform/submit

यथाas/how

अन्यायम्injustice

नnot

अहम्I

शक्ष्येwill be able

निवेदितुम्to inform/submit

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Saubala (Śakuni)

Kuru dynasty

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how political actors may use ‘proper procedure’ and intermediaries to legitimize questionable aims, while also deflecting personal accountability—an ethical tension between outward propriety (nyāya) and inner intention.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana instructs Saubala (Śakuni) to present their case to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra. He claims he cannot convey it himself, indicating reliance on Śakuni’s persuasive skill and a strategic move to secure royal approval for actions against the Pāṇḍavas.