Shloka 7
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पाण्डवेषु प्रीति-वृत्तान्तः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Affectionate Disposition toward the Pāṇḍavas
अन्धस्य नृपते: पुत्रा मया परिघबाहुना
andhasya nṛpateḥ putrā mayā parighabāhunā
অন্ধ রাজাধিরাজের পুত্রগণ আমার—পরিঘসম বাহুবলসম্পন্ন—হাতে নিহত হয়েছিল।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when actions are performed in the context of dharma and war, the destruction of a family line—especially that of a vulnerable ruler—carries ethical gravity. Strength and victory do not erase the duty to acknowledge suffering and to bear responsibility for consequences.
Vaiśampāyana’s narration recalls the fate of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons, attributing their downfall to the overwhelming force of a warrior described as ‘parighabāhu’ (club-armed), pointing to Bhīma’s decisive role in the Kauravas’ destruction and setting the tone for the forest-retirement (āśrama) aftermath.