Shloka 54
धृतराष्ट्रविलापः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Inquiry (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 2)
मुहुर्मुहुर्मुह्मान: पुत्राधिभिरभिप्लुत: । विलप्य सुचिरं काल धृतराष्ट्रोडम्बिकासुत:
muhurmuhurmuhyamānaḥ putrādhibhir abhiplutaḥ | vilapya suciraṃ kālaṃ dhṛtarāṣṭro ’mbikāsutaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Over and over again, Dhṛtarāṣṭra—Ambikā’s son—fell into bewilderment, overwhelmed by grief for his sons. He lamented for a long time, his mind repeatedly sinking under the weight of attachment and loss in the aftermath of the war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how attachment (especially to one’s children and lineage) can repeatedly cloud judgment and drown a person in grief. In the Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, unchecked moha (delusion born of attachment) leads to prolonged suffering and prevents clear discernment of dharma, especially after the consequences of adharma have unfolded.
After the catastrophic losses of the Kurukṣetra war, Dhṛtarāṣṭra is shown repeatedly losing composure, overwhelmed by sorrow for his sons. He continues lamenting for a long time, and the narrator (Vaiśampāyana) emphasizes the cyclical nature of his grief and confusion.