Udyoga Parva, Adhyaya 52: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava Strength and the Case for Restraint
युधिष्ठिरस्य च क्रोधादर्जुनस्य च विक्रमात् । यमाभ्यां भीमसेनाच्च भयं मे तात जायते
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | yudhiṣṭhirasya ca krodhād arjunasya ca vikramāt | yamābhyāṃ bhīmasenāc ca bhayaṃ me tāta jāyate, tāta sañjaya |
Anakku, ketakutan besar bangkit dalam diriku—oleh murka Yudhiṣṭhira, oleh keperkasaan Arjuna, oleh kedua saudara kembar (Nakula dan Sahadeva), dan oleh Bhīmasena. Wahai Sañjaya, bila para raja itu membentangkan di tengah balatentaraku seakan-akan jaring senjata-senjata surgawi, para prajuritku takkan sanggup menembusnya; sebab itulah aku meratap.
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Unchecked attachment and partiality in a ruler breed moral blindness: Dhṛtarāṣṭra recognizes the Pāṇḍavas’ power yet remains trapped in fear and lamentation rather than choosing a dharmic settlement. The verse highlights how adharma-driven politics culminate in inevitable suffering.
In Udyoga Parva, as war becomes imminent, Dhṛtarāṣṭra confides to Sañjaya his dread of the Pāṇḍavas—Yudhiṣṭhira, Arjuna, the twins Nakula and Sahadeva, and Bhīma—anticipating that their extraordinary weapons and prowess will overwhelm his army.