Shloka 16
धृतराष्ट्रस्य वंशोपदेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Dynastic Counsel on Legitimate Rule
अश्रत्थामा यथा महां तथा श्वेतहयो मम । बहुना कि प्रलापेन यतो धर्मस्ततो जयः,“मेरे लिये जैसा अश्वत्थामा है वैसा ही श्वेत घोड़ोंवाला अर्जुन भी है। अधिक बकवाद करनेसे क्या लाभ? जहाँ धर्म है, उसी पक्षकी विजय निश्चित है!
Aśvatthāmā yathā mahān tathā śvetahayo mama | bahunā kiṃ pralāpena yato dharmas tato jayaḥ ||
Vāyu said: “As Aśvatthāmā is a great warrior, so too is my own Śvetahaya—Arjuna of the white horses. What is the use of excessive talk? Wherever dharma stands, on that side victory is assured.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a moral axiom: victory ultimately aligns with dharma. Martial strength matters, but ethical rightness is presented as the decisive ground of lasting success.
Vāyu speaks to emphasize that Arjuna (called Śvetahaya, ‘he of the white horses’) is as formidable as Aśvatthāmā, and he dismisses further argument by grounding the outcome in the principle that the side of dharma will prevail.