Shloka 46
ममानाथस्य सुभशं पुत्रैहीनस्य सर्वश: । एवमुक्क्त्वा ततो भूयो विसंज्ञो निषपषात ह
mamānāthasya subhṛśaṃ putrair hīnasya sarvaśaḥ | evam uktvā tato bhūyo visaṃjño nipapāta ha ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Now, bereft of my sons and utterly without protection, you are wholly my refuge.” Having spoken thus, the king again lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground. The scene underscores the moral and emotional ruin that follows adharma: when kin are destroyed by one’s own choices and attachments, even royal power cannot prevent helplessness, and the wise (Vidura) becomes the last shelter.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the collapse of worldly supports after catastrophic wrongdoing: when attachment and injustice lead to the destruction of one’s lineage, even a king becomes ‘anātha’ (without refuge), and true shelter is sought in wisdom and righteousness embodied by Vidura.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, overwhelmed by sorrow after the loss of his sons, declares Vidura to be his only refuge; immediately afterward he again faints and falls to the ground, showing the depth of his despair.