Shloka 7
Chapter 26: Śoka-pratiṣedha, Hata-saṅkhyā, Gati-vibhāga, Pretakārya-ājñā
Restraint of Grief, Count of the Slain, Destinies, and Funerary Directives
धृतराष्ट्रस्तु राजर्षिनिंगृह्याबुद्धिजं तम: । पर्यपृच्छत धर्मज्ञो धर्मराजं युधिष्ठिरम्,उस समय धर्मज्ञ राजर्षि धृतराष्ट्रने अज्ञानसे उत्पन्न होनेवाले शोक और मोहको रोककर धर्मराज युधिष्ठिरसे पूछा--
dhṛtarāṣṭras tu rājarṣiṃ gṛhītvā buddhi-jaṃ tamaḥ | paryapṛcchat dharmajño dharmarājaṃ yudhiṣṭhiram ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the dharma-knowing royal sage, restraining the darkness of grief and delusion born of confused understanding, questioned Yudhiṣṭhira, the king devoted to dharma—seeking guidance amid the moral aftermath of the war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in overwhelming sorrow, one should restrain delusion (tamas/moha) and turn toward dharma through sincere inquiry—seeking ethical clarity rather than being ruled by grief.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Dhṛtarāṣṭra, mastering his grief-born confusion, approaches Yudhiṣṭhira and begins questioning him, setting up a dharma-centered dialogue in the aftermath of the war.