Shloka 9
स्त्रीपर्व १: धृतराष्ट्रशोकः संजयाश्वासनं च
Strī Parva 1: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Saṃjaya’s Consolation
वैशम्पायन उवाच तच्छुत्वा करुणं वाक्यं पुत्रपौत्रवधार्दित: । पपात भुवि दुर्थधर्षो वाताहत इव द्रुम:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--नरेश्वर! संजयकी यह करुणाजनक बात सुनकर बेटों और पोतोंके वधसे व्याकुल हुए दुर्जय राजा धृतराष्ट्र आँधीके उखाड़े हुए वृक्षकी भाँति पृथ्वीपर गिर पड़े
vaiśampāyana uvāca: tac chrutvā karuṇaṃ vākyaṃ putrapautra-vadhārditaḥ | papāta bhuvi durdharṣo vātāhata iva drumaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Hearing Sañjaya’s heart-rending words, the king Dhṛtarāṣṭra—tormented by the slaughter of his sons and grandsons—collapsed upon the earth, like a tree struck down by a violent wind.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral aftermath of adharma-driven conflict: victory and power cannot shield anyone from the karmic weight of violence. Even a once-formidable king is reduced to helpless grief when confronted with the irreversible loss caused by war.
After hearing Sañjaya’s sorrowful report, Dhṛtarāṣṭra—overwhelmed by the deaths of his sons and grandsons—falls to the ground. The simile of a wind-felled tree emphasizes the suddenness and totality of his collapse.