Shloka 7

राजा तु धृतराष्ट्रश्न पुत्रशोकाभिपीडित: । वाक्यमाह महाबुद्धि: प्रज्ञाचक्षुन्नरिश्वरम्‌,उस समय पुत्रशोकसे पीड़ित हुए परम बुद्धिमान प्रज्ञाचक्षु राजा धृतराष्ट्रने महाराज युधिष्ठिस्से कहा--

rājā tu dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ putraśokābhipīḍitaḥ | vākyam āha mahābuddhiḥ prajñācakṣur nariśvaram ||

Then King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, crushed by grief for his sons, addressed the lord of men with words. Though blinded in body, he was one whose vision was wisdom—speaking from the moral weight of loss in the aftermath of war.

राजाthe king
राजा:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
धृतराष्ट्रःDhritarashtra
धृतराष्ट्रः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधृतराष्ट्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
पुत्रशोकाभिपीडितःafflicted by grief for (his) sons
पुत्रशोकाभिपीडितः:
TypeAdjective
Rootअभि-पीडित
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
वाक्यम्words/speech
वाक्यम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवाक्य
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
आहsaid
आह:
TypeVerb
Rootअह्
FormPerfect (Paroksha), Third, Singular
महाबुद्धिःof great intellect
महाबुद्धिः:
TypeAdjective
Rootमहाबुद्धि
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
प्रज्ञाचक्षुःhaving wisdom as (his) eyes; wise-seeing
प्रज्ञाचक्षुः:
TypeAdjective
Rootप्रज्ञाचक्षुस्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
नरिश्वरम्the lord of men (king)
नरिश्वरम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनर-ईश्वर
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular

वैशमग्पायन उवाच

D
Dhṛtarāṣṭra
Y
Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

The verse frames ethical reflection after catastrophe: even a ruler devastated by personal loss must speak and be heard within the moral order (dharma). Dhṛtarāṣṭra is portrayed as 'prajñācakṣu'—suggesting that true vision is discernment, and that grief can become a ground for sober counsel rather than mere lament.

Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that Dhṛtarāṣṭra, overwhelmed by sorrow for his slain sons after the great war, begins to address the reigning king (Yudhiṣṭhira). This sets up a dialogue in which the defeated elder speaks to the victor amid the moral and emotional aftermath.