Shloka 10
Bhīmasya paruṣa-vākyaṃ
Bhīma’s Harsh Speech Heard by Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Gāndhārī
वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! वेदवेत्ताओंमें श्रेष्ठ
evam etan mahābāho yathā vadasi bhārata | rājāyaṁ vṛddhatāṁ prāptaḥ pramāṇe parame sthitaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Janamejaya, when Yudhiṣṭhira spoke thus, the mighty, radiant, and supremely wise Vyāsa—foremost among knowers of the Veda—replied again to counsel him: ‘O strong-armed scion of Bharata, what you say is indeed so. Yet King Dhṛtarāṣṭra has grown old and now stands at the final measure of life.’”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when one’s judgment is correct, dharma requires sensitivity to time and condition: an aged person nearing life’s end should be treated with restraint, compassion, and appropriate counsel rather than harsh insistence.
Vaiśampāyana reports that Vyāsa responds to Yudhiṣṭhira’s statement, affirming it but adding a crucial consideration: Dhṛtarāṣṭra is now very old and at the final stage of life, shaping how Yudhiṣṭhira should proceed.