Shloka 6
Rājasūyābhiṣeka-darśana: Duryodhana’s Observation of the Consecration
धृतराष्ट्र रवाच दुर्योधन कुतोमूलं भृशमार्तो5सि पुत्रक । श्रोतव्यक्षेन्मया सो<र्थो ब्रूहि मे कुरुनन्दन,धृतराष्ट्र दुर्योधनके पास जाकर बोले--बेटा दुर्योधन! तुम्हारे दु:ःखका कारण क्या है? सुना है, तुम बड़े कष्टमें हो। कुरुनन्दन! यदि मेरे सुननेयोग्य हो तो वह बात मुझे बताओ
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca — duryodhana kuto-mūlaṁ bhṛśam ārto ’si putraka | śrotavyakṣen mayā so ’rtho brūhi me kurunandana ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Duryodhana, my son, what is the root cause of your anguish? I hear you are suffering greatly. O joy of the Kurus, if the matter is fit for me to hear, tell it to me.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a ruler’s duty to inquire into the causes of distress and to invite truthful disclosure—yet it also foreshadows the ethical tension of partiality: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s paternal concern can become a gateway to enabling adharma if counsel is not guided by justice.
In the Sabha Parva setting, Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses Duryodhana, noticing (or hearing) that he is deeply troubled. He asks for the root cause and invites him to explain, provided the matter is appropriate for the king to hear—initiating a consequential exchange that will shape court decisions.