Shloka 45
शल्यपर्वणि प्रथमाध्यायः — Karṇa-vadha-anantaraṃ Śalya-niyogaḥ, Saṃjayasya Dhṛtarāṣṭra-nivedanam
उदीक्ष्य च दिश: सर्वा: क्षत्तारं वाक्यमब्रवीत् विद्वत क्षत्तर्महाप्राज्ञ त्वं गतिर्भरतर्षभ
udīkṣya ca diśaḥ sarvāḥ kṣattāraṃ vākyam abravīt | vidvat kṣattar mahāprājña tvaṃ gatir bharatarṣabha ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Having looked in every direction, Dhṛtarāṣṭra addressed Vidura (the Kṣattṛ): “O learned one, O Kṣattṛ, O greatly wise man, O bull among the Bhāratas—now you alone are the refuge and support for me, bereft of sons and left without protection.” Having spoken thus, the king, overwhelmed by grief, again lost consciousness and fell to the earth.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When power, lineage, and worldly supports collapse, the only dependable refuge is dharmic wisdom embodied by a righteous counselor. The verse highlights the ethical consequence of adharma: it culminates in helplessness and dependence on those who upheld discernment all along.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, trembling and overwhelmed by sorrow after the devastation of his sons, looks around in distress and turns to Vidura, calling him his sole refuge. Immediately after speaking, he faints again and falls to the ground.