Shloka 173
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पाण्डवेषु प्रीति-वृत्तान्तः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Affectionate Disposition toward the Pāṇḍavas
दुर्योधनं कौरवाणामाधिपत्ये5 भ्यषेचयम् । दुर्योधनकी बुद्धिमें दुष्टता भरी थी। वह जाति-भाइयोंका भय बढ़ानेवाला था तो भी मुझ मूर्खने उसे कौरवोंके राजसिंहासनपर अभिषिक्त कर दिया
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | duryodhanaṃ kauravāṇām ādhipatye 'bhiṣecayam |
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “I anointed Duryodhana to the sovereignty of the Kauravas. Though his intellect was steeped in wickedness and he was one who heightened fear among his own kinsmen, I—fool that I was—still consecrated him upon the royal throne of the Kauravas.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s moral failure is not only in committing wrong but also in empowering wrongdoing. Dhṛtarāṣṭra recognizes that installing a wicked heir out of attachment and delusion violates dharma and becomes a root cause of fear, injustice, and eventual ruin.
In Āśramavāsika Parva, Dhṛtarāṣṭra reflects on past decisions after the war’s devastation. Here he admits that he crowned Duryodhana as leader of the Kauravas despite knowing his harmful disposition, acknowledging his own folly and responsibility.