Chapter 49: Sañjaya’s Enumeration of the Pāṇḍava Coalition (पाण्डवसैन्यसमागम-वर्णनम्)
तत्रानिमित्ततो दैवात् सूतं कश्मलमाविशत् | तदा55चचक्षे विदुर: सभायां राजसंसदि
tatrānimittato daivāt sūtaṁ kaśmalam āviśat | tadā cacakṣe viduraḥ sabhāyāṁ rājasaṁsadi ||
وہاں بغیر کسی ظاہر سبب کے، تقدیر کے زور سے، سوت پر حیرت و اضطراب اور رنج و ملال طاری ہو گیا۔ اسی لمحے شاہی دربار کی سبھا میں ودُر نے اسے دیکھ لیا۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse highlights how sudden moral confusion (kaśmala) can arise even without visible cause, suggesting the pressure of destiny and circumstance; it also foregrounds Vidura as a discerning ethical witness in the royal court, attentive to signs of inner collapse that often precede grave political decisions.
In the Kuru court setting, a sūta (charioteer/court attendant) is unexpectedly overcome by distress or bewilderment, and Vidura notices this in the assembly—an observation that can function as a narrative signal of tension, foreboding, or an impending disclosure within the court proceedings.