Shloka 112
Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ
King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt
गान्धारराजपुत्रो 5 भूच्छकुनि: सौबलस्तथा । दुर्योधनस्य जननी जज्ञातेडर्थविशारदौ
gāndhārarājaputro bhūcchakuniḥ saubalastathā | duryodhanasya jananī jajñāte 'rthaviśāradau ||
Wika ni Dāśa: “Mula sa hari ng Gāndhāra ay isinilang si Śakuni—na kilala rin bilang Saubala. At ang kaniyang kapatid na babae, si Gāndhārī, ay naging ina ni Duryodhana. Kapwa sila bantog sa talas ng isip sa pamamahala ng kaharian at sa masusing pagtutuos ng artha.”
दाश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how expertise in artha (pragmatic policy and calculation) is morally ambivalent: it can uphold order when aligned with dharma, but when joined to hostility and manipulation it becomes a force that corrodes righteousness and fuels large-scale conflict.
The speaker identifies Śakuni’s lineage from the Gāndhāra royal house and notes his epithet ‘Saubala’. It also connects his sister Gāndhārī to the Kuru line as Duryodhana’s mother, emphasizing that both siblings were famed for their skill in political and material strategy.