Shloka 136
अर्जुन-माहात्म्य-चिन्ता
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Arjuna’s Strategic Supremacy
तच्च मन्दा न जानन्ति दुर्योधनवशानुगा: । हमलोगोंके यहाँ न तो वैसा धनुष है
tac ca mandā na jānanti duryodhana-vaśānugāḥ | asmākaṁ gehe na tādṛśaṁ dhanuḥ, na cārjuna-samaḥ parākramī yoddhā, na ca śrīkṛṣṇa-samaḥ sārathir asti; kintu duryodhana-vaśībhūtā mama mūḍhāḥ putrā etad na budhyante |
Dhṛtarāṣṭra se lamente : ceux qui sont tombés sous l’emprise de Duryodhana ne saisissent pas une vérité pourtant claire : dans notre camp, il n’y a ni arc semblable à celui-là, ni guerrier aussi puissant qu’Arjuna, ni cocher égal à Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Et pourtant, mes fils aveuglés, dominés par Duryodhana, refusent de le comprendre.
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Blind loyalty and attachment can eclipse clear judgment: Dhṛtarāṣṭra recognizes the strategic and moral disadvantage of his side—lacking an Arjuna-like champion and a Kṛṣṇa-like guide—yet his sons, dominated by Duryodhana’s influence, refuse to see the truth. The verse warns that ignoring wise assessment and ethical restraint leads toward ruin.
In Udyoga Parva, as war becomes imminent, Dhṛtarāṣṭra reflects anxiously on the imbalance between the two sides. He notes that his camp does not possess the decisive combination represented by Arjuna’s prowess and Kṛṣṇa’s charioteership, but his sons—under Duryodhana’s sway—remain obstinate and uncomprehending.