Shloka 12
धृतराष्ट्रस्य सत्कारः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra Honored in the Post-war Court
विदुर: संजयश्चैव युयुत्सुश्नैव कौरव । उपासते सम त॑ वृद्ध हतपुत्रं जनाधिपम्,कुरुनन्दन! जिनके पुत्र मारे गये थे, उन बूढ़े राजा धृतराष्ट्रकी विदुर, संजय और युयुत्सु --ये तीनों सदा सेवा करते रहते थे
viduraḥ sañjayaś caiva yuyutsuś caiva kaurava | upāsate sma taṁ vṛddhaṁ hataputraṁ janādhipam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Vidura, Sañjaya, and Yuyutsu—the Kaurava—continually attended upon that aged ruler whose sons had been slain. In the aftermath of war, their steady service stands as a quiet affirmation of dharma: loyalty to an elder and compassion for the bereaved, even when the royal house has been shattered by its own choices.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even after catastrophic conflict, dharma can be upheld through compassionate service to elders and the grieving. The verse highlights steadfast attendance (upāsanā/sevā) as an ethical response to suffering, independent of political victory or defeat.
In the opening of Āśramavāsika Parva, the text describes how Vidura, Sañjaya, and Yuyutsu regularly attend the aged king Dhṛtarāṣṭra, now devastated by the death of his sons, indicating his dependence and the continued presence of loyal attendants after the war.