अध्याय ९ — धृतराष्ट्रस्य युधिष्ठिरं प्रति राजनित्युपदेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Counsel on Royal Policy to Yudhiṣṭhira
न तद् दुर्योधनकृतं न च तद् भवता कृतम्
na tad duryodhana-kṛtaṃ na ca tad bhavatā kṛtam
সে কাজ না দুর্যোধন করেছিল, না-ই তা আপনার দ্বারা করা হয়েছিল।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse discourages simplistic blame by denying exclusive personal authorship of the deed to either Duryodhana or the addressed listener. It points toward a Mahābhārata theme: actions unfold through a complex web of karma, circumstance, and destiny, so ethical reflection must go beyond anger and self-reproach toward discernment and acceptance.
In the Āśramavāsika context—where survivors grapple with loss and moral reckoning—Vaiśampāyana reports a statement that reframes a painful event: it was neither solely Duryodhana’s doing nor solely the other person’s. The line functions as a consolatory and interpretive pivot, easing personal accusation and redirecting attention to larger causality.