Shloka 15
Hiḍimbā’s Account and the Bhīma–Hiḍimba Engagement (आदि पर्व, अध्याय १४२)
यदा प्रतिष्ठितं राज्यं मयि राजन् भविष्यति । तदा कुन्ती सहापत्या पुनरेष्यति भारत,भरतवंशके महाराज! जब यह राज्य पूरी तरहसे मेरे अधिकारमें आ जायगा, उस समय कुन्तीदेवी अपने पुत्रोंके साथ पुनः: यहाँ आकर रह सकती हैं
yadā pratiṣṭhitaṃ rājyaṃ mayi rājan bhaviṣyati | tadā kuntī sahāpatyā punareṣyati bhārata ||
Duryodhana said: “O King, scion of Bharata, when the kingdom is firmly established under my authority, then Kuntī, together with her sons, may return here again.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how political power can be used to redefine justice as mere permission: Duryodhana implies that Kuntī and her sons may return only after his rule is secured, revealing a mindset where legitimacy is claimed through control rather than dharma.
Duryodhana speaks to a kingly elder (addressed as rājan and bhārata), asserting that once sovereignty is firmly in his hands, Kuntī and her sons can come back—presenting their return as contingent on his dominance.