Shloka 34
Ādi-parva Adhyāya 141: Bhīma–Hiḍimba Confrontation and Protective Discourse
पितृतः प्राप्तवान् राज्यं पाण्डुरात्मगुणै: पुरा । त्वमन्धगुणसंयोगात् प्राप्तं राज्यं न लब्धवान्,पाण्डुने अपने सदगुणोंके कारण पितासे राज्य प्राप्त कर लिया और आप अंधे होनेके कारण अधिकारप्राप्त राज्यको भी नहीं पा सके
pitṛtaḥ prāptavān rājyaṃ pāṇḍur ātmaguṇaiḥ purā | tvam andhaguṇasaṃyogāt prāptaṃ rājyaṃ na labdhavān |
Duryodhana sagte: „Einst erlangte Pāṇḍu das Reich von seinem Vater kraft seiner eigenen Vorzüglichkeit. Du aber hast es wegen der dir anhaftenden Blindheit nicht erhalten, obwohl es dir rechtmäßig zustand.“
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a political-ethical argument about legitimacy: rulership is portrayed as tied to personal capability and virtue, not merely seniority or entitlement. At the same time, it reveals a moral problem—reducing a person’s worth to a physical condition—showing how power struggles can weaponize ‘fitness’ to justify exclusion.
Duryodhana addresses Dhṛtarāṣṭra, contrasting Pāṇḍu’s earlier accession—attributed to his virtues—with Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s failure to secure the throne due to blindness. The statement functions as a pointed reminder of past succession decisions within the Kuru house and as a rhetorical move in the ongoing contest over royal authority.