Shloka 16

Devanagari script

अयं त्वेको वृथादृष्टिर्धार्तराष्ट्रस्य दुर्मते:

Transliteration

ayaṁ tv eko vṛthādṛṣṭir dhārtarāṣṭrasya durmateḥ

Translation

କିନ୍ତୁ ଧୃତରାଷ୍ଟ୍ରପୁତ୍ର ସେଇ ଦୁର୍ମତିର ଏହି ଏକମାତ୍ର ଦୃଷ୍ଟି ନିରର୍ଥକ ଓ ଭ୍ରାନ୍ତ।

Word by Word

• अयम्: this (man/one)
• अयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• एकः: alone/one
• एकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वृथा-दृष्टिः: one whose view is vain/false-sighted
• वृथा-दृष्टिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृथा-दृष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• धार्तराष्ट्रस्य: of Dhṛtarāṣṭra (i.e., Duryodhana)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• दुर्मतेः: of the evil-minded one
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्मति
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Dhārtarāṣṭra (son/descendant of Dhṛtarāṣṭra; Kaurava—contextually Duryodhana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A morally distorted mind produces a “vṛthā-dṛṣṭi”—a futile, misguided outlook—showing how unethical intent and poor judgment can harden into a single stubborn course that leads away from dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana comments on the Kaurava side’s stance, characterizing the Dhārtarāṣṭra’s (typically Duryodhana’s) chosen view as vain and wrong-headed, underscoring the ethical failure that drives the conflict toward war.