Shloka 24
भीष्मसेनापत्याभिषेकः
Bhīṣma’s Appointment as Commander-in-Chief
उक्तवान् देवकीपुत्र: कुन्त्याश्न विदुरस्य च | वचन तत् त्वया राजन् निखिलेनावधारितम्
uktavān devakīputraḥ kuntyāś ca vidurasya ca | vacanaṃ tat tvayā rājan nikhilenāvadhāritam ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: “Wahai Raja, sesungguhnya tuanku telah menimbang dengan sepenuhnya akan warkah itu—pesan yang disampaikan oleh putera Devakī (Śrī Kṛṣṇa) kepada tuanku, yakni kata-kata yang diucapkan oleh Permaisuri Kuntī dan oleh Vidura.”
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must not merely hear counsel but thoroughly deliberate on it. Ethical governance requires careful reflection on wise advice—especially when it concerns dharma and the prevention of destructive conflict.
Vaiśaṃpāyana addresses the king, pointing to the counsel that Kṛṣṇa had relayed—originating from Kuntī and Vidura—and implies that the king should have fully considered those admonitions before deciding his course in the escalating dispute.