Shloka 28
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पाण्डवेषु प्रीति-वृत्तान्तः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Affectionate Disposition toward the Pāṇḍavas
हतं शतं तु पुत्राणां ययोर्युद्धेधपलायिनाम्
hataṁ śataṁ tu putrāṇāṁ yayor yuddhe dhapalāyinām
دھرتراشٹر نے کہا—“اس جنگ میں میرے بیٹوں میں سے پورے سو مارے گئے—وہی جو میدانِ جنگ کے سامنے بزدلی سے بھاگ نکلے تھے۔”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s grief through a moral lens: death in war is not only a personal loss but also a judgment on conduct—fleeing one’s duty and lacking steadfastness in a righteous struggle leads to ruin and remorse.
In the Ashramavāsika context, Dhṛtarāṣṭra recalls the catastrophic outcome of the Kurukṣetra war, stating that his hundred sons were killed, and he characterizes them as having fled or failed in the battle—an expression of sorrow mixed with self-reproach and bitter reflection.