Shloka 216
द्वैपायनह्रदे दुर्योधनान्वेषणम् / The Search for Duryodhana at Dvaipāyana Lake
बलक्षयं तथा दृष्टवा स एक: पृथिवीपति: । संजय! मैं यह बात पूछ रहा हूँ, तुम मुझे बताओ; क्योंकि यह सब बतानेमें तुम कुशल हो। अपनी सेनाका संहार हुआ देखकर अकेले बचे हुए मेरे मूर्ख पुत्र राजा दुर्योधनने क्या किया?
balakṣayaṃ tathā dṛṣṭvā sa ekaḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ | sañjaya! māṃ etāṃ bāt pṛcchāmi, tvaṃ me brūhi; yataḥ etat sarvaṃ vaktum tvaṃ kuśalaḥ | ātmanaḥ senāyāḥ saṃhāraṃ dṛṣṭvā eko vaśiṣṭaḥ mama mūḍhaḥ putro rājā duryodhanaḥ kim akarot?
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Seeing the ruin of his forces, that lone king of the earth—Sañjaya, I ask you this; tell me, for you are skilled in recounting all that has happened—when he beheld the destruction of his army, what did my deluded son, King Duryodhana, do, left all alone?”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical consequence of delusion (mūḍhatā): when one’s power and supporters collapse, the true results of misguided choices become unavoidable. It frames Duryodhana’s isolation as the fruit of a destructive course, inviting reflection on responsibility and the cost of adharma.
After the Kaurava forces have been devastated, Dhṛtarāṣṭra anxiously questions Sañjaya about Duryodhana’s next actions—specifically what Duryodhana did when he found himself the lone surviving king, having witnessed the annihilation of his army.