Shloka 2
अध्याय २३ — संजयस्योपप्लव्यगमनम् तथा युधिष्ठिरकुशलप्रश्नाः
Sanjaya’s Arrival at Upaplavya and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Welfare Inquiries
सन्त्येव वृद्धा: साधवो धार्राष्टर सन्त्येव पापा: पाण्डव तस्य विद्धि । दद्याद् रिपुभ्योडपि हि धारराष्ट्र: कुतो दायॉल्लोपयेद् ब्राह्मणानाम्,पाण्डव! धृतराष्ट्र-पुत्र दुर्योधनके पास जैसे बहुत-से पापी रहते हैं, उसी प्रकार उसके यहाँ साधुस्वभाववाले वृद्ध पुरुष भी रहते ही हैं। आप इस बातको सत्य समझें। दुर्योधन तो शत्रुओंको भी धन देता है, फिर वह ब्राह्मणोंकी जीविकाका लोप तो कर ही कैसे सकता है?
sañjaya uvāca | santy eva vṛddhāḥ sādhavo dhārtarāṣṭra santy eva pāpāḥ pāṇḍava tasya viddhi | dadyād ripubhyo 'pi hi dhārtarāṣṭraḥ kuto dāyāl lopayed brāhmaṇānām pāṇḍava ||
Sañjaya said: “O Pāṇḍava, know this as true: in the house of the Dhārtarāṣṭra there are indeed aged men of saintly disposition, just as there are many sinful men. Duryodhana, a son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, would even give wealth to enemies; how, then, could he possibly deprive the Brāhmaṇas of their livelihood?”
सयजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral character within a political camp is mixed: even where many wicked people gather, there can still be virtuous elders. The verse also argues from Duryodhana’s reputation for giving (dāna) that he would not intentionally harm Brāhmaṇas’ livelihood, invoking the ethical expectation that rulers protect and support religious-social institutions.
Sañjaya is reporting and reasoning about the situation in the Kaurava sphere, addressing a Pāṇḍava. He counters an accusation or suspicion by asserting that Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s side includes respectable elders and that Duryodhana’s known generosity makes it unlikely he would deprive Brāhmaṇas of sustenance.