Shloka 40
भीष्मरथाभिमुख्यं — Arjuna’s advance with Śikhaṇḍin; Duḥśāsana’s interception
गुणवत्सु कथं द्वेषं धृतराष्ट्रो जनेश्वर: । कृतवान् पाण्डुपुत्रेषु पापात्मा लोभमोहित:,पापात्मा राजा धुृतराष्ट्रने लोभसे मोहित होकर गुणवान् पाण्डवोंसे द्वेष क्यों किया?
guṇavatsu kathaṁ dveṣaṁ dhṛtarāṣṭro janeśvaraḥ | kṛtavān pāṇḍuputreṣu pāpātmā lobhamohitaḥ ||
Sañjaya nói: “Làm sao Dhṛtarāṣṭra, chúa tể của muôn dân, lại ôm lòng thù ghét các con trai đức hạnh của Pāṇḍu? Bị lòng tham làm mê muội, vị vua mang tâm tội lỗi ấy đã hướng ác ý về phía họ.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral inversion: hatred directed at the virtuous is a symptom of inner corruption. Greed (lobha) clouds discernment (moha), leading a ruler to abandon dharma and act against those who embody merit, thereby setting the stage for wider ruin.
Sañjaya frames a reflective question about Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s conduct—why the king, despite the Pāṇḍavas’ virtues, became hostile to them. The line functions as a diagnosis of motive: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s partiality and animosity are traced to greed-driven delusion, a key cause behind the Kuru family’s escalation toward war.