Shloka 19
Hiḍimbā’s Account and the Bhīma–Hiḍimba Engagement (आदि पर्व, अध्याय १४२)
ते वयं कौरवेयाणामेतेषां च महात्मनाम् । कथं न वध्यतां तात गच्छाम जगतस्तथा,दुर्योधन! यदि हम पाण्डवोंके साथ विषम व्यवहार करेंगे तो सम्पूर्ण कुरुवंशी और ये (भीष्म, द्रोण आदि) महात्मा एवं सम्पूर्ण जगत्के लोग हमें वध करनेयोग्य क्यों न समझेंगे
te vayaṃ kauraveyāṇām eteṣāṃ ca mahātmanām | kathaṃ na vadhyatāṃ tāta gacchāma jagatas tathā, duryodhana ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra disse: “Duryodhana, se agirmos injustamente contra os Pāṇḍava, como não seremos julgados dignos de punição—por nossos próprios parentes Kuru, por estes anciãos de grande alma (como Bhīṣma e Droṇa) e também pelo mundo inteiro? Se escolhermos o caminho da parcialidade, por que a sociedade não nos teria por merecedores de morte?”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unjust conduct—especially toward one’s own kin—destroys moral legitimacy. A ruler’s actions are judged not only by personal desire but by elders, clan, and the wider world; adharma invites rightful condemnation and punishment.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra warns Duryodhana that if the Kauravas treat the Pāṇḍavas unfairly, they will be seen as deserving retribution by the Kuru family, revered elders like Bhīṣma and Droṇa, and by society at large—highlighting the political and ethical consequences of adharma.