Shloka 1
धृतराष्ट्रस्य बलाबलचिन्ता
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Strength and Preference for Śama
अड-#--#क्रञ षष्टितमो< ध्याय: धृतराष्ट्रके द्वारा कौरव-पाण्डवोंकी शक्तिका तुलनात्मक वर्णन वैशम्पायन उवाच संजयस्य वच: श्र॒त्वा प्रज्ञाचक्षुर्जनेश्वर: । ततः संख्यातुमारेभे तद्गूग्ो गुणदोषत:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! संजयकी बात सुनकर प्रज्ञाचक्षु राजा धृतराष्ट्रने उसके वचनके गुण-दोषका विवेचन आरम्भ किया
vaiśampāyana uvāca | sañjayasya vacaḥ śrutvā prajñācakṣur janeśvaraḥ | tataḥ saṅkhyātum ārebhe tad guṇadoṣataḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Hearing Sañjaya’s words, the lord of men Dhṛtarāṣṭra—though blind, yet ‘seeing’ through understanding—then began to weigh and reckon the matter, examining it in terms of its merits and faults.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights discernment (prajñā) as a form of ‘sight’: one should evaluate counsel and circumstances by weighing merits and faults (guṇa–doṣa), rather than reacting impulsively or through attachment.
After hearing Sañjaya’s report, King Dhṛtarāṣṭra begins a comparative assessment—interpreting and judging what he has heard—setting up the broader discussion of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas.