Shloka 316
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पाण्डवेषु प्रीति-वृत्तान्तः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Affectionate Disposition toward the Pāṇḍavas
गान्धारी हतपुत्रेयं धैयेंणोदीक्षते च माम् । “पुत्र! जिसने अपनी शक्तिके अनुसार उत्कृष्ट पुण्यका अनुष्ठान किया है और जिसके सौ पुत्र मारे गये हैं, वही यह गान्धारीदेवी धैर्यपूर्वक मेरी देख-भाल करती है
gāndhārī hataputrā iyaṃ dhairyeṇodīkṣate ca mām |
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “This Gandhārī—though bereft of her sons—steadfastly and with patient fortitude attends to me. She who, to the best of her capacity, undertook noble acts of merit, and whose hundred sons have been slain, still continues to care for me with unwavering self-control.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid overwhelming personal loss, dharma can be upheld through steadfast self-control and compassionate service. Gandhārī’s endurance models ethical strength: grief need not cancel one’s duties, and care for others can become a disciplined spiritual response to suffering.
In the Āśramavāsika context, Dhṛtarāṣṭra reflects on Gandhārī’s condition after the war: though all her sons have died, she continues to attend upon him with patience and firmness, highlighting the Kuru elders’ life of austerity and mutual dependence in their later years.