Shloka 23
Arjuna’s Absence, Bhīma’s Kṣātra-Dharma Appeal, and Bṛhadaśva’s Arrival
Nala-Upākhyāna Begins
सर्वथा न हि मे पुत्रा: सहामात्या: ससौबला: । क्रुद्धे पार्थे च भीमे च वासुदेवे च सात्वते,जब कुन्तीपुत्र अर्जुन, भीमसेन और यदुकुलतिलक वासुदेव श्रीकृष्ण क्रोधमें भरे हुए हैं, तब मुझे यह विश्वास कर लेना चाहिये कि शकुनि तथा अन्य मन्त्रियोंसहित मेरे सभी पुत्र सर्वधा जीवित नहीं रह सकते
sarvathā na hi me putrāḥ sahāmātyāḥ sasaubalāḥ | kruddhe pārthe ca bhīme ca vāsudeve ca sātvate ||
Wika ni Dhṛtarāṣṭra: “Hindi ko kailanman mapaniniwalaang mananatiling buhay ang aking mga anak—kasama si Śakuni at ang iba pang mga ministro—kapag si Pārtha (Arjuna), si Bhīma, at si Vāsudeva ng angkang Sātvata (Kṛṣṇa) ay nag-aalab sa galit.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Unchecked wrongdoing and hostile counsel culminate in inevitable consequences; Dhṛtarāṣṭra recognizes that when righteous and powerful opponents (Arjuna, Bhīma, and Kṛṣṇa) are provoked, mere political maneuvering cannot secure safety.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra voices anxiety and foreboding: he doubts the survival of his sons and their faction, including Śakuni and the ministers, if the Pandava champions and Kṛṣṇa are angered—hinting at the looming catastrophe of escalating enmity.