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 |
इति श्रीमहाभारते उद्योगपर्वणि सञ्जययानपर्वणि श्रीकृष्णवाक्यसम्बन्धे एकोनत्रिंशोऽध्यायः समाप्तः। वायुदेव उवाच—सञ्जय, गान्धारराजस्य पर्वतवासिनः शकुनेरपि कुशलं पृच्छ; यो द्यूतकलायां परधनापहरणे चात्मानं न कस्यचित् समं मन्यते, यो दुर्योधनं नित्यं मानयति, तस्यापि मिथ्याबुद्धेः कुशलं पृच्छ।
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.