Shloka 19
मेरोर्दिग्वर्णनम् / Digvarṇana of Meru: Uttara-Kuru, Bhadrāśva, and Jambūdvīpa Motifs
वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्त: संजयेन धृतराष्ट्रो महामना: । ध्यानमन्वगमद् राजन पुत्रान् प्रति जनाधिप,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--महाराज जनमेजय! संजयके ऐसा कहनेपर महामना धृतराष्ट्र अपने पुत्रोंके लिये चिन्ता करने लगे
vaiśampāyana uvāca evam uktaḥ sañjayena dhṛtarāṣṭro mahāmanāḥ | dhyānam anvagamad rājan putrān prati janādhipa ||
Vaiśampāyana said: O King (Janamejaya), when Sañjaya had spoken thus, the high-minded Dhṛtarāṣṭra fell into anxious reflection concerning his sons—his mind turning inward as a ruler confronted by the moral weight and peril of the coming war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension of kingship and family attachment: even a ruler described as 'mahāmanāḥ' becomes inwardly troubled when confronted with the likely consequences of his sons’ choices. It points to how partiality and concern for one’s own can cloud judgment at moments demanding dharmic clarity.
Within the frame narration, Vaiśampāyana tells King Janamejaya that after Sañjaya reports events, Dhṛtarāṣṭra turns to anxious contemplation about his sons (the Kauravas), foreshadowing his fear and helplessness as the war’s outcomes loom.