Shloka 18
प्रागेव मन्त्रितं चासीत् कर्णदुःशासनादिभि: । याचनीयं मुनेस्तुष्टादिति निश्चित्य दुर्मति:
prāgeva mantritaṃ cāsīt karṇa-duḥśāsanādibhiḥ | yācanīyaṃ munes tuṣṭād iti niścitya durmatiḥ ||
கர்ணன், துஃசாசனன் முதலியோருடன் இதைப்பற்றி முன்பே ஆலோசனை நடந்திருந்தது. முனிவர் திருப்தியடைந்தால் அவரிடம் வரம் கேட்க வேண்டும் என்று துர்மதி துரியோதனன் தீர்மானித்தான்.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse cautions that when one’s intention is crooked, even contact with holiness becomes instrumentalized: a sage’s satisfaction is treated as leverage for gain. Ethical counsel matters—deliberation among the unrighteous (durmati) tends to convert spiritual merit into opportunistic bargaining, inviting later harm.
The narrator states that a plan had already been discussed with Karṇa, Duḥśāsana, and others. The misguided person then decides that, once a sage is pleased, he should be asked for something—setting up an attempt to obtain a boon or advantage through petitioning the sage.