Shloka 34
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Duryodhana Saṃvāda on Restraint and Rājānīti
Chapter 50
उवाच सहदेवस्तु तत्र मां विस्मयन्निव । इदं द्वारमितो गच्छ राजन्निति पुन: पुन:,वहाँ सहदेवने मुझे आश्वर्यमें डालते हुए बार-बार यह कहा--'राजन्! यह दरवाजा है, इधर चलिये”
uvāca sahadevas tu tatra māṁ vismayann iva | idaṁ dvāram ito gaccha rājan iti punaḥ punaḥ ||
उवाच सहदेवस्तु तत्र मां विस्मयन्निव । इदं द्वारमितो गच्छ राजन्निति पुनः पुनः ॥
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, in a politically charged setting, even ordinary acts of guidance can be interpreted through the lens of pride, rivalry, and honor. Ethical discernment in the sabhā requires sensitivity to intention, perception, and the fragile dignity of opponents.
Duryodhana recounts that in the assembly setting Sahadeva repeatedly directed him toward a particular doorway, addressing him as ‘O King.’ Duryodhana experiences this repeated direction as unsettling—suggesting an atmosphere where gestures and words carry layered social and political meaning.