Shloka 46
धर्मादरर्मो बलवान् सम्प्राप्त इति मे मति: । यत्र वृद्ध गुरुं हत्वा राज्यमिच्छन्ति पाण्डवा:,आज मुझे निश्चितरूपसे ज्ञात हुआ कि धर्मसे अधर्म ही बलवान् है; क्योंकि पाण्डव अपने वृद्ध गुरुजनकी हत्या करके राज्य लेना चाहते हैं
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | dharmād adharmaḥ balavān samprāpta iti me matiḥ | yatra vṛddhaṃ guruṃ hatvā rājyam icchanti pāṇḍavāḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “It has now become my settled conviction that unrighteousness has gained strength over righteousness; for the Pāṇḍavas, in their desire for the kingdom, are prepared to slay even their aged elders and teachers.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral crisis: when the pursuit of power (rājya) leads one to contemplate violence against revered elders/teachers, it appears as though adharma has become stronger than dharma. It also reveals how ethical judgment can be shaped by grief, attachment, and partisan perception.
On the eve/early course of the Kurukṣetra conflict, Dhṛtarāṣṭra reacts to the prospect of battle where the Pāṇḍavas will face and potentially kill their own elders and teachers on the Kaurava side. He interprets this as evidence that unrighteousness is prevailing, framing the war as a collapse of traditional reverence and restraint.