Shloka 40
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पाण्डवेषु प्रीति-वृत्तान्तः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Affectionate Disposition toward the Pāṇḍavas
त्वं चापि फलभाक् तात तपस: पार्थिवो हासि । फलभाजो हि राजान: कल्याणस्येतरस्य वा
tvaṃ cāpi phalabhāk tāta tapasaḥ pārthivo hāsi | phalabhājo hi rājānaḥ kalyāṇasyetarasyā vā ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “You too, dear son, will share in the excellent fruit of this austerity, for you are a king. Kings, indeed, become partakers of the results of whatever occurs within their realm—whether auspicious or inauspicious.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches rajadharma: a ruler is morally implicated in the outcomes within his kingdom and therefore shares the karmic results—good or bad—of what happens under his governance; likewise, a king participating in austerity gains its merit.
In the forest-ascetic setting of the Āśramavāsika narrative, Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses his ‘son’ affectionately and explains that, as a king, he will partake in the fruits of the ongoing tapas, just as kings partake in the results of deeds occurring in their realm.