Shloka 5
Adhyāya 203 — Tilottamā-sṛṣṭiḥ
Creation and Commissioning of Tilottamā
सम्प्रीयमाणं त्वां ब्रूयाद राजन् दुर्योधनं तथा । असकृद् ट्रुपदे चैव धृष्टद्युम्ने च भारत,राजा ट्रुपदके पास बहूके लिये वरपक्षकी ओरसे उसे धन और रत्न लेकर जाना चाहिये। भारत! उस पुरुषको राजा ट्रुपद और धृष्टद्युम्नके सामने बार-बार यह कहना चाहिये कि आपके साथ सम्बन्ध हो जानेसे राजा धृतराष्ट्र और दुर्योधन अपना बड़ा अभ्युदय मान रहे हैं और उन्हें इस वैवाहिक सम्बन्धसे बड़ी प्रसन्नता हुई है
bhīṣma uvāca | samprīyamāṇaṃ tvāṃ brūyād rājan duryodhanaṃ tathā | asakṛt trupade caiva dhṛṣṭadyumne ca bhārata ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Ó rei, que ele te transmita a mensagem amistosa e conciliadora de Duryodhana. E, ó Bhārata, que repita muitas vezes, na presença do rei Drupada e de Dhrishtadyumna, que Dhritarashtra e Duryodhana consideram esta aliança contigo um grande ascenso de sua fortuna e se alegram profundamente com este vínculo matrimonial proposto.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights royal diplomacy: when seeking an alliance, one should communicate goodwill explicitly and repeatedly before key stakeholders, framing the relationship as mutually auspicious. Ethically, it underscores the importance of respectful speech and public reassurance to build trust in political and marital negotiations.
Bhishma is instructing how a message should be delivered regarding a proposed marital alliance: the envoy should present Duryodhana’s conciliatory stance to the addressed king and, in Drupada’s and Dhrishtadyumna’s presence, repeatedly affirm that Dhritarashtra and Duryodhana consider the alliance a great gain and are pleased by it.