Adhyāya 31: Rājasūya-samāgama — The Gathering of Kings and the Ordering of Hospitality
ततः सुसम्भ्रान्तमना बभूव कुरुनन्दन: । नोत्तरं प्रतिवक्तुं च शक्तो5भूज्जनमेजय,जनमेजय! इससे कुरुनन्दन सहदेवके मनमें बड़ी घबराहट हुई। वे इसका प्रतीकार करनेमें असमर्थ हो गये
tataḥ susambhrāntamanā babhūva kurunandanaḥ | nottaraṃ prativaktuṃ ca śakto 'bhūj janamejaya ||
اے جنمیجَے! تب کورو نندن سہ دیو کا دل سخت مضطرب ہو گیا۔ وہ نہ کوئی جواب دے سکا اور نہ ہی کوئی تدبیرِ مقابلہ کر سکا۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse highlights that ethical or situational pressure can overwhelm a person’s composure, making speech and rebuttal impossible; silence here signals the gravity of the moment and the limits of argument when confronted by a difficult moral predicament.
Vaiśampāyana tells King Janamejaya that the Kuru prince (identified in context as Sahadeva) becomes intensely disturbed and is unable to respond—indicating that he has been placed in a position where he cannot effectively counter what has been said or done.