Shloka 156
Kuntī–Karṇa Saṃvāda: Lineage Disclosure and Appeal to Fraternal Dharma
पाण्डवेषु कथं हार्द कुर्यान्न च पितामह: । “आचार्य द्रोण तो सदा हमारे हितकी इच्छा रखनेवाले हैं। वे अपने शिष्योंके साथ कभी युद्ध नहीं कर सकते। इसी प्रकार पितामह भीष्म भी पाण्डवोंके प्रति हार्दिक स्नेह कैसे नहीं रखेंगे?
pāṇḍaveṣu kathaṃ hārdaṃ kuryān na ca pitāmahaḥ |
Vaiśampāyana said: “How could the grandsire not feel heartfelt affection for the Pāṇḍavas? Given the bonds of kinship and guardianship, it would be contrary to his nature and duty to be without tenderness toward them.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid impending war, dharma is shaped by enduring relationships: elders and guardians are expected to retain compassion and goodwill toward those they have protected, and the absence of such feeling is portrayed as unnatural and ethically suspect.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Vaiśaṃpāyana highlights the moral tension for the Kuru elders: Bhīṣma, though aligned with the Kaurava side by obligation, is still bound by deep familial affection toward the Pāṇḍavas.