Shloka 19

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 130: Kuntī’s Instruction on Rājadharma and Daṇḍanīti

Devanagari script

ततोअब्रवीन्महाबाहुर्धतराष्ट्रं जनार्दन: । अदृश्यमाने नेत्रे द्वे भवेतां कुरुनन्दन

Transliteration

tato 'bravīn mahābāhur dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ janārdanaḥ | adṛśyamāne netre dve bhavetāṃ kurunandana

Translation

Entonces Janārdana, el de poderosos brazos, habló a Dhṛtarāṣṭra: «Oh deleite de los Kurus, cuando los dos ojos no ven, que sean como si estuvieran ausentes».

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

अब्रवीत्said, spoke

महाबाहुःthe mighty-armed (one)

धृतराष्ट्रम्Dhṛtarāṣṭra

जनार्दनःJanārdana (Kṛṣṇa)

अदृश्यमानेwhen (the two) are not being seen / are invisible

नेत्रेtwo eyes

द्वेtwo

भवेताम्may (they) be / let (them) become

कुरुनन्दनO delight of the Kurus

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)

Kuru (dynasty)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical danger of ‘not seeing’—whether due to physical blindness or deliberate denial. When one refuses to perceive truth and consequences, one’s discernment collapses, enabling adharma and injustice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa) addresses Dhṛtarāṣṭra with a pointed remark about the eyes not seeing. In context, it functions as admonition: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s impaired perception and partiality are being implicitly criticized as factors that allow wrongdoing to proceed.