Shloka 36
न वैश्रुतं धार्तराष्ट्रेण वाक््यं मयोच्यमानं विदुरेण चैव । द्रोणेन रामेण जनार्दनेन मुहुर्मुहु: संजयेनापि चोक्तम्
na vaiśrutaṃ dhārtarāṣṭreṇa vākyaṃ mayocyamānaṃ vidureṇa caiva | droṇena rāmeṇa janārdanena muhurmuhuḥ saṃjayenāpi coktam ||
Sañjaya said: Dhṛtarāṣṭra did not heed the counsel spoken by me, nor that spoken by Vidura. Again and again the same was urged by Droṇa, by Rāma, and by Janārdana—and repeatedly by Sañjaya as well. Yet he would not listen. In this, the verse underscores the ethical tragedy of willful deafness to wise advice: when attachment and partiality rule, even the most authoritative voices fail to restrain a ruler from the path that leads to ruin.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that ethical failure often begins with refusing to listen to wise counsel. Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s partiality toward his sons makes him disregard repeated warnings from trusted, authoritative figures, showing how attachment can overpower dharma and lead to destructive outcomes.
Sañjaya reports that Dhṛtarāṣṭra did not accept the advice offered by multiple respected voices—Sañjaya himself, Vidura, Droṇa, Baladeva (Rāma), and Kṛṣṇa (Janārdana). The line highlights the repeated attempts to restrain or correct him and his persistent refusal to heed them.