Shloka 29
अध्याय २९ — वासुदेव–संजय संवादः
Karma, Varṇa-Dharma, and the Ethics of Governance
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्ाभारत उद्योगपर्वके अन्तर्गत संजययानपर्वमें श्रीकृष्णवाक्यसम्बन्धी उनतीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti prakāraṁ śrīmahābhārate udyogaparvaṇi antargate sañjayayānaparvaṇi śrīkṛṣṇavākyasambandhī unatiṁśo 'dhyāyaḥ samāptaḥ | gāndhārarājaḥ śakuniḥ pārvatīyo nikartane yo 'kṣadevyā mānaṁ kurvan dhārtarāṣṭrasya sūta mithyābuddheḥ kuśalaṁ tāta pṛcchaḥ | tāta sañjaya! yo jūā khelakara parāye dhanasyāpaharaṇe kalāyāṁ svam sānī na rakṣati tathā duryodhanasya sadā sammānaṁ karoti, tasya mithyābuddheḥ parvatanivāsinaḥ gāndhārarājasya śakuneḥ api kuśalaṁ pṛccha |
Demikianlah berakhir bab kedua puluh sembilan dalam Udyoga Parva Śrī Mahābhārata, dalam bahagian Sañjayayāna, yang berkaitan dengan warkah Kṛṣṇa. Vāyu-deva bersabda: “Wahai Sañjaya, tanyakan juga khabar sejahtera Śakuni, raja Gāndhāra, penghuni pergunungan—yang bermegah dengan kepandaian bermain dadu dan merampas harta orang lain melalui perjudian, serta sentiasa memuji dan memuliakan Duryodhana. Tanyakan juga kesejahteraan orang yang tersesat akalnya itu.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage condemns unethical skill—especially gambling used to seize others’ wealth—and exposes how flattery and alliance with adharma (here, honoring Duryodhana while practicing deceit) reflects ‘mithyā-buddhi’, a distorted moral judgment.
This is a chapter-colophon and a pointed remark within the envoy/diplomacy context: Vāyu-deva instructs Sañjaya to inquire after Śakuni’s welfare as well, but does so with moral irony, highlighting Śakuni’s notorious role as a deceitful gambler and instigator on the Kaurava side.