Shloka 8
शल्यस्य सेनापत्याभ्युपगमः | Śalya’s Acceptance of Command
स कथं मम वाक्यानि श्रद्दधध्याद् भूय एव तु । “हमलोगोंने राजा युधिष्ठिरकके साथ छल किया है। वे महाधनी थे, हमने उन्हें जूएमें जीतकर निर्धन बना दिया। ऐसी दशामें वे हमलोगोंपर विश्वास कैसे कर सकते हैं? हमारी बातोंपर उन्हें फिर श्रद्धा कैसे हो सकती है? ।।
sa kathaṁ mama vākyāni śraddadhyād bhūya eva tu | “vayaṁ rājānaṁ yudhiṣṭhiram saha chalayitvā jūte jitvā nirdhanaṁ kṛtavantaḥ; tādṛśyāṁ daśāyāṁ sa asmāsu kathaṁ viśvaset? asmākaṁ vākyebhyaḥ punar asya kathaṁ śraddhā bhavet?” tathā dautyena samprāptaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ pārthahite rataḥ | “brahman! pāṇḍavānāṁ hitārthaṁ satataṁ pravṛttaḥ śrīkṛṣṇo mama gṛhaṁ dūtaḥ san āgataḥ; ahaṁ tu tena hṛṣīkeśena saha vañcanaṁ kṛtavān. tat karma mama avicārapūrvakam āsīt. kathaṁ nu sa idānīṁ mama vākyam manyeta?”
Wika ni Sañjaya: “Paano pa siya muling maniniwala sa aking mga salita? Dinaya namin si Haring Yudhishthira; kahit siya’y napakayaman, tinalo namin siya sa sugal ng dice at ginawa siyang dukha. Sa gayong kalagayan, paano niya kami mapagkakatiwalaan? Paano siya muling magkakaroon ng pananalig sa sinasabi namin? At si Krishna rin—na laging nakatuon sa kapakanan ng anak ni Pritha—ay dumating sa aking palasyo bilang sugo; ngunit dinaya ko si Hrishikesha. Ang ginawa kong iyon ay walang pag-iingat at walang pagninilay. Paano ngayon niya tatanggapin ang aking mga salita?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Deceit destroys credibility: when one violates dharma through fraud—especially against the righteous and through dishonorable means like the dice-game—trust becomes nearly impossible to restore. The verse highlights moral causality: unethical actions erode the very ground on which persuasion and reconciliation depend.
Sanjaya reports a reflection on past wrongdoing: the speaker recalls how the Kauravas cheated Yudhishthira in the gambling match and later acted deceitfully even toward Krishna when he came as a diplomatic envoy for the Pandavas. Because of these acts, the speaker doubts that Yudhishthira or Krishna would now believe or accept any assurances.