Shloka 28
धृतराष्ट्रस्य वंशोपदेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Dynastic Counsel on Legitimate Rule
ततो<थ राज्ञ: सुबलस्य पुत्री धर्मार्थयुक्ते कुलनाशभीता । दुर्योधनं पापमतिं नृशंसं राज्ञां समक्ष सुतमाह कोपात्,तदनन्तर राजा सुबलकी पुत्री गान्धारी अपने कुलके विनाशसे भयभीत हो क्रूर स्वभाववाले पापबुद्धि पुत्र दुर्योधनसे समस्त राजाओंके समक्ष क्रोधपूर्वक यह धर्म और अर्थसे युक्त वचन बोली--
tato 'tha rājñaḥ subalasya putrī dharmārthayukte kulanāśabhītā | duryodhanaṃ pāpamatīṃ nṛśaṃsaṃ rājñāṃ samakṣaṃ sutam āha kopāt ||
Then Gandhārī, daughter of King Subala—fearful that her lineage would be destroyed—spoke in anger before the assembled kings to her own son Duryodhana, whose mind had turned to sin and whose nature was cruel. Her words were grounded in dharma and prudent statecraft, warning him against the ruinous path he was choosing.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when confronting wrongdoing within one’s own family, counsel should be rooted in dharma (moral law) and artha (prudent governance). Gandhārī’s fear of kula-nāśa highlights that adharma in leadership brings collective ruin, not merely personal downfall.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations and warnings, Gandhārī publicly rebukes her son Duryodhana before other kings. She speaks angrily yet with ethically and politically grounded intent, attempting to restrain his cruel, destructive course.