Shloka 54
Sabhā Parva, Adhyāya 68 — Pāṇḍavānāṃ Vanavāsa-prasthānaḥ; Duḥśāsana-nindā; Pāṇḍava-pratijñāḥ
वैशम्पायन उवाच तस्य ते तद् वच: श्रुत्वा रौद्रं लोमप्रहर्षणम् । प्रचक्रुर्बहुलां पूजां कुत्सन्तो धृतराष्ट्रजम्,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! भीमसेनकी यह रोंगटे खड़े कर देनेवाली भयंकर बात सुनकर वहाँ बैठे हुए राजाओंने धृतराष्ट्रपुत्र दःशासनकी निन्दा करते हुए भीमसेनकी भूरि-भूरि प्रशंसा की
vaiśampāyana uvāca | tasya te tad vacaḥ śrutvā raudraṁ lomapraharṣaṇam | pracakrur bahulāṁ pūjāṁ kutsanto dhṛtarāṣṭrajam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Hearing those fierce words of his—words that made the hair stand on end—the kings seated there offered abundant honor, while censuring the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Duḥśāsana). The scene underscores a moral judgment by the assembly: public esteem turns toward the one perceived as defending justice, and public blame falls upon the one seen as acting with cruelty and adharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights collective moral discernment: when cruelty and wrongdoing are recognized, society’s honorable voices tend to praise the defender of justice and condemn the perpetrator. Public honor (pūjā) is portrayed as ethically conditioned, not merely political.
After Bhīmasena utters a fierce, hair-raising statement, the assembled kings react by praising Bhīma greatly while reproaching Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son—understood here as Duḥśāsana—indicating the court’s disapproval of Duḥśāsana’s conduct.