Shloka 13
Udyoga Parva, Adhyaya 52: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Pāṇḍava Strength and the Case for Restraint
पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठिर दर्शनीय
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | pāṇḍunandana yudhiṣṭhiraḥ darśanīyaḥ manasvī lakṣmīvān brahmarṣibhiḥ samaṃ tejasvī medhāvī niścitabuddhiyuktaḥ dharmātmā mitraiḥ mantribhiś ca sampannaḥ yuddhāya udyogibhiḥ sainikaiḥ saṃyuktaḥ mahārathibhrātṛbhiḥ vīraśiromaṇibhiḥ śvaśuraiś ca surakṣitaḥ dhairyavān mantraguptaḥ puruṣasiṃha iva parākramī dayāluḥ udāraḥ lajjāśīlaḥ yathārthaparākramasampannaḥ anekaśāstrajñaḥ manonigrahavān vṛddhasevī jitendriyaś ca | evaṃ sarvaguṇasampannaṃ prajvalitāgnisamaṃ tāpadam taṃ yudhiṣṭhiram abhimukhaṃ yuddhāya kaḥ mūḍho gacchet? kaḥ acetā maraṇāsannaḥ patangavat durṇivāra-pāṇḍavāgnau jñātvā nipatet? | tanuruddhaḥ śikhī rājā mithyopacarito mayā | mandānāṃ mama putrāṇāṃ yuddhena antaṃ kariṣyati ||
持国王说道：“般度之子优提施提罗，仪容可观，胸怀高远，福泽具足。他的光辉如同梵仙（Brahmarṣi）一般；聪慧敏达，裁断坚定，心系正法（dharma），又有挚友与贤明谋臣扶持。他麾下兵士好战奋勇，身后有诸位大车战兄弟与英勇卓绝的岳父们护卫。他沉毅坚忍，善守机密，在人中勇猛如狮——却又慈悲、慷慨而知羞；其武功是真实，不是虚饰。他通晓多种圣典（śāstra），能制其心，敬事长者，克制诸根。如此德备而灼热如烈焰之人，谁会愚昧到敢与之交战？又有谁神志昏乱、死期将近，还会明知故犯，如飞蛾般投入那不可抗拒的般度族之火？ “优提施提罗又如被束于狭处之火——一旦放出，炽烈而不可遏止。我以虚伪之举亏负于他；因此，他必将以战争终结我那些愚钝的儿子。”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
Moral power grounded in dharma—self-control, truthful strength, wise counsel, and compassion—becomes an irresistible force. Wrongful conduct (mithyopacāra) toward the righteous rebounds upon the wrongdoer, making conflict and ruin more likely for those who persist in adharma.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, anxious about the coming war, reflects on Yudhiṣṭhira’s comprehensive virtues and strong alliances. He concludes that opposing such a dharmic leader is like a moth rushing into fire, and he admits his own fault in having treated Yudhiṣṭhira falsely—foreseeing that this will lead to the destruction of his own sons in war.