Shloka 30
धृतराष्ट्रविलापः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Inquiry (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 2)
भीष्मश्न निहतो यत्र लोकनाथ: प्रतापवान्,निहतः पाण्डवै: संख्ये किमन्यद् भागधेयत: । जैसे सिंह सियारसे लड़कर मारा जाय, उसी प्रकार जहाँ लोकरक्षक प्रतापी वीर भीष्म शिखण्डीसे भिड़कर वधको प्राप्त हुए, जहाँ सम्पूर्ण शस्त्रास्त्रोंकी विद्याके पारंगत विद्वान् ब्राह्मण द्रोणाचार्य पाण्डवोंद्वारा युद्धस्थलमें मार डाले गये, वहाँ भाग्यके सिवा दूसरा क्या कारण हो सकता है?
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | bhīṣmaś ca nihato yatra lokanāthaḥ pratāpavān | nihataḥ pāṇḍavaiḥ saṅkhye kim anyad bhāgadhayataḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “In that very war where the mighty Bhīṣma—protector of the people and a hero of great prowess—was slain, and where other great champions were also struck down by the Pāṇḍavas in battle, what cause can there be other than destiny? When even such guardians and masters of warfare fall, human effort and strategy seem overruled by the allotment of fate.”
धघतयाट्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes the perceived supremacy of destiny (bhāgadhaya/bhāgya) over human strength and planning: when even the greatest protectors and warriors fall, the outcome appears governed by an unseen allotment rather than mere personal effort.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra reflects on the catastrophic losses of the Kuru side, pointing to Bhīṣma’s death and the Pāṇḍavas’ success in battle, and concludes that such reversals can be explained only by fate.