Shloka 2
Dvaipāyana-hrade Duryodhanasya Māyā — Yudhiṣṭhirasya Dharmoktiḥ (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 30)
कृतवर्मा कृपश्चैव द्रोणपुत्रश्च वीर्यवान् । दुर्योधनश्व मन्दात्मा राजा किमकरोत् तदा
kṛtavarmā kṛpaś caiva droṇaputraś ca vīryavān | duryodhanaś ca mandātmā rājā kim akarot tadā ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Pada waktu itu, apakah yang dilakukan oleh Raja Duryodhana—yang tersesat fikirannya—bersama Kṛtavarmā, Kṛpa, dan putera Droṇa yang gagah?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical lens on leadership in crisis: Duryodhana is explicitly labeled mandātmā (“misguided”), suggesting that power and valor in companions do not guarantee righteous outcomes when the ruler’s judgment is morally compromised.
Sañjaya poses a narrative question about the actions taken by Duryodhana at a critical moment, in the company of three key Kaurava-aligned warriors—Kṛtavarmā, Kṛpa, and Aśvatthāmā—setting up the account of their subsequent decisions and deeds.