Shloka 28
धृतराष्ट्रस्य वंशोपदेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Dynastic Counsel on Legitimate Rule
ततो<थ राज्ञ: सुबलस्य पुत्री धर्मार्थयुक्ते कुलनाशभीता । दुर्योधनं पापमतिं नृशंसं राज्ञां समक्ष सुतमाह कोपात्
tato 'tha rājñaḥ subalasya putrī dharmārthayukte kulanāśabhītā | duryodhanaṃ pāpamatīṃ nṛśaṃsaṃ rājñāṃ samakṣaṃ sutam āha kopāt ||
Então Gandhārī, filha do rei Subala—temendo a destruição de sua linhagem—falou com ira, diante dos reis reunidos, ao próprio filho Duryodhana, cuja mente se voltara ao pecado e cuja natureza era cruel. Suas palavras, alicerçadas no dharma e na prudência do governo, advertiam-no contra o caminho ruinoso que ele escolhia.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when confronting wrongdoing within one’s own family, counsel should be rooted in dharma (moral law) and artha (prudent governance). Gandhārī’s fear of kula-nāśa highlights that adharma in leadership brings collective ruin, not merely personal downfall.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war negotiations and warnings, Gandhārī publicly rebukes her son Duryodhana before other kings. She speaks angrily yet with ethically and politically grounded intent, attempting to restrain his cruel, destructive course.