Shloka 4
धृतराष्ट्रस्य स्पर्शाभिलाषः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Touch and Permission for Tapas
व्यसन भेदनं चैव शत्रूणां कारयेत् ततः । कर्षणं भीषणं चैव युद्धे चैव बलक्षयम्
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | vyasana-bhedanaṃ caiva śatrūṇāṃ kārayet tataḥ | karṣaṇaṃ bhīṣaṇaṃ caiva yuddhe caiva bala-kṣayam ||
তাৰ পিছত শত্রুসকলৰ ওপৰত বিপদ নমাই আনি তেওঁলোকৰ মাজত বিভেদ ঘটাবলৈ চেষ্টা কৰিব লাগে; তেওঁলোকক নিৰন্তৰ পীড়ন কৰি ভীতসন্ত্রস্ত কৰিব লাগে আৰু যুদ্ধত তেওঁলোকৰ শক্তি ক্ষয় কৰি সম্পূৰ্ণ নষ্ট কৰিব লাগে।
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse articulates a hard-edged political-military maxim: weaken opponents by engineering misfortune and internal division, then exhaust and frighten them so their power collapses in battle. Ethically, it reflects a strategic, often adharma-leaning approach where victory is pursued through destabilization rather than restraint.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra is speaking in the Ashramavāsika context, voicing counsel framed in terms of dealing with enemies: first create crisis and factionalism among them, then apply pressure and terror, culminating in the attrition of their forces in war.