Shloka 66
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पाण्डवेषु प्रीति-वृत्तान्तः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Affectionate Disposition toward the Pāṇḍavas
अहमप्युपवत्स्यामि यथैवायं गुरुर्मम । यदि राजा न भुद्धक्तेड्यं गान्धारी च यशस्विनी
vaiśampāyana uvāca | aham apy upavatsyāmi yathaivāyaṃ gurur mama | yadi rājā na bhuṅkte 'dyaṃ gāndhārī ca yaśasvinī | provācedaṃ susaṃrabdho bhīmaḥ sa paruṣaṃ vacaḥ |
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Yo también guardaré ayuno, tal como este anciano, mi maestro. Si el rey Dhṛtarāṣṭra y la ilustre Gāndhārī no comen hoy, entonces yo también ayunaré como estos venerables mayores.» Así, Bhīma—que aún recordaba los consejos parciales y los agravios nacidos de la inclinación de Dhṛtarāṣṭra—pronunció esas palabras severas en un arrebato de ira.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how moral persuasion can be driven by intense emotion: Bhīma uses the austerity of fasting as leverage to influence revered elders. It raises an ethical tension between righteous intent (seeking accountability and proper conduct) and unrighteous means (anger and harsh speech), reminding readers that dharma includes both ends and the manner of action.
In the Āśramavāsika setting, Bhīma—still burdened by memories of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s earlier partiality and the resulting wrongs—speaks angrily. He declares that if Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Gāndhārī do not eat that day, he too will fast, aligning his vow with that of a revered elder and pressing the royal couple through a public, force gives resolve.