Shloka 60
धृतराष्ट्रस्य बलाबलचिन्ता
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Strength and Preference for Śama
इति श्रीमहा भारते उद्योगपर्वणि यानसंधिपर्वणि धृतराष्ट्रविवेचने षष्टितमो5ध्याय: ।। ६० || इस प्रकार श्रीमह्ाभारत उद्योगपर्वके अन्तर्गत यानसंधिपर्वमें धृतराष्टरके द्वारा कौरव- पाण्डवोंकी शक्तिका विवेचनसम्बन्धी साठवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
iti śrīmahābhārate udyogaparvaṇi yānasaṃdhiparvaṇi dhṛtarāṣṭravivecane ṣaṣṭitamo 'dhyāyaḥ || 60 ||
Thus ends the sixtieth chapter of the Udyoga Parva of the Śrī Mahābhārata, within the section on the journey and negotiations (Yāna–Saṃdhi Parvan), where Dhṛtarāṣṭra reflects on and weighs the respective powers of the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas. The chapter closes by framing this assessment as part of the moral and political deliberation preceding war—an attempt to understand strength, counsel, and consequence before irrevocable action.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even at the threshold of conflict, a ruler must practice vivecana—clear-eyed discernment of power, counsel, and consequences—because ethical responsibility lies not only in strength but in the decision to restrain or unleash it.
This is a colophon marking the completion of the chapter in which Dhṛtarāṣṭra evaluates the relative strengths of the Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas within the broader context of diplomatic efforts and negotiations preceding the war.