Shloka 12
स्त्रीपर्व १: धृतराष्ट्रशोकः संजयाश्वासनं च
Strī Parva 1: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Saṃjaya’s Consolation
हृतराज्यो हतबन्धुर्हतचक्षुश्व वै तथा । न भ्राजिष्ये महाप्राज्ञ क्षीणरश्मिरिवांशुमान्
hṛtarājyo hatabandhur hata-cakṣuś ca vai tathā | na bhrājiṣye mahāprājña kṣīṇa-raśmir ivāṃśumān ||
हृतराज्यो हतबन्धुर्हतचक्षुश्च वै तथा । न भ्राजिष्ये महाप्राज्ञ क्षीणरश्मिरिवांशुमान् ॥
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the fragility of worldly power and splendor: when dharma is shattered by war and kin-slaying, external sovereignty and inner radiance both collapse, leaving the ruler morally and emotionally diminished.
In the opening of the Strī Parva, Dhṛtarāṣṭra voices his devastation after the Kurukṣetra war—his kingdom is lost, his family line is destroyed, and he is overwhelmed by helplessness, comparing himself to a sun that can no longer shine.