Shloka 20
दुर्योधनस्य प्रायोपवेशः — शकुनिसान्त्वनम् तथा कृत्याह्वानम्
Duryodhana’s Fast: Śakuni’s Consolation and the Summoning of a Kṛtyā
उचितं हि सदा गन्तुं घोषयात्रां विशाम्पते | एवं च त्वां पिता राजन् समनुज्ञातुमहति,“राजन्! अपनी गौओंको देखनेके लिये यात्रा करना सदा उचित ही है; ऐसा बहाना लेनेपर पिताजी तुम्हें अवश्य वहाँ जानेकी आज्ञा दे सकते हैं!
ucitaṃ hi sadā gantuṃ ghoṣayātrāṃ viśāmpate | evaṃ ca tvāṃ pitā rājan samanujñātum arhati ||
Disse Vaiśampāyana: “Ó senhor do povo, é sempre apropriado empreender uma ghoṣayātrā, uma jornada aos assentamentos de vaqueiros para inspecionar os rebanhos. E com esse pretexto, ó rei, teu pai pode, com justiça, conceder-te permissão para ir até lá.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a practical, socially acceptable reason—inspecting the cattle at a ghoṣa—as a dharmically ‘proper’ pretext by which a prince/king may seek legitimate permission from his father, showing how duty and prudence can be aligned with accepted norms.
Vaiśampāyana advises that a visit to the cowherd settlement is inherently appropriate and can be presented as the stated purpose of travel; therefore the addressee’s father, the king, can reasonably authorize the journey.