Shloka 47
धृतराष्ट्रविलापः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Inquiry (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 2)
अहं वियुक्तस्तैर्भाग्ये: पुत्रैश्नैवेह संजय,कथमसद्य भविष्यामि वृद्ध: शत्रुवशं गत: । संजय! मैं उन शुभकारक भाग्योंसे वंचित हूँ और पुत्रोंसे भी हीन हूँ। आज इस वृद्धावस्थामें शत्रुके वशमें पड़कर न जाने मेरी कैसी दशा होगी?
ahaṁ viyuktas tair bhāgyaiḥ putraiś caiva iha sañjaya, katham asadya bhaviṣyāmi vṛddhaḥ śatruvaśaṁ gataḥ |
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “O Sañjaya, I am bereft here of those auspicious fortunes, and I am deprived of my sons as well. Now, in my old age, having fallen under the control of my enemies, what wretched condition will I come to?”
धघतयाट्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the vulnerability of worldly power and lineage: when fortune turns and one’s supporters are lost, even a king in old age can become dependent on former enemies. It underscores the ethical weight of choices that lead to ruin and the fragility of status without dharmic grounding.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks to Sañjaya after the catastrophic losses of the Kauravas. He laments that he has lost his sons and his auspicious fortunes, and fears the humiliation and hardship of living in old age under the control of the victorious side.