वैशंपायन उवाच
कृतास्त्रान् धार्तराष्ट्रांश् च पाण्डुपुत्रांश् च भारत ॥
दृष्ट्वा द्रोणो ऽब्रवीद् राजन् धृतराष्ट्रं जनेश्वरम् ॥
कृपस्य सोमदत्तस्य बाह्लीकस्य च धीमतः ॥
गाङ्गेयस्य च सांनिध्ये व्यासस्य विदुरस्य च ॥
राजन् संप्राप्तविद्यास् ते कुमराः कुरुसत्तम ॥
ते दर्शयेयुः स्वां शिक्षां राजन्न् अनुमते तव ॥
ततो ऽब्रवीन् महाराजः प्रहृष्टेनान्तरात्मना ॥
भारद्वाज महत् कर्म कृतं ते द्विजसत्तम ॥
यदा तु मन्यसे कालं यस्मिन् देशे यथा यथा ॥
तथा तथा विधानाय स्वयम् आज्ञापयस्व माम् ॥
स्पृहयाम्य् अद्य निर्वेदात् पुरुषाणां सचक्षुषाम् ॥
अस्त्रहेतोः पराक्रान्तान् ये मे द्रक्ष्यन्ति पुत्रकान् ॥
क्षत्तर् यद् गुरुर् आचार्यो ब्रवीति कुरु तत् तथा ॥
न हीदृशं प्रियं मन्ये भविता धर्मवत्सल ॥
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
kṛtāstrān dhārtarāṣṭrāṃś ca pāṇḍuputrāṃś ca bhārata ||
dṛṣṭvā droṇo 'bravīd rājan dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ janeśvaram ||
kṛpasya somadattasya bāhlīkasya ca dhīmataḥ ||
gāṅgeyasya ca sāṃnidhye vyāsasya vidurasya ca ||
rājan saṃprāptavidyās te kumarāḥ kurusattama ||
te darśayeyuḥ svāṃ śikṣāṃ rājann anumate tava ||
tato 'bravīn mahārājaḥ prahṛṣṭenāntarātmanā ||
bhāradvāja mahat karma kṛtaṃ te dvijasattama ||
yadā tu manyase kālaṃ yasmin deśe yathā yathā ||
tathā tathā vidhānāya svayam ājñāpayasva mām ||
spṛhayāmy adya nirvedāt puruṣāṇāṃ sacakṣuṣām ||
astrahetoḥ parākrāntān ye me drakṣyanti putrakān ||
kṣattar yad gurur ācāryo bravīti kuru tat tathā ||
na hīdṛśaṃ priyaṃ manye bhavitā dharmavatsala ||
Vaishampayana said: 'Having seen the sons of Dhritarashtra and the sons of Pandu masters of weapons, O Bharata, Drona spoke to Dhritarashtra, lord of men, in the presence of Kripa, Somadatta, the wise Bahlika, the son of Ganga, Vyasa, and Vidura.' Drona said: 'O king, your princes have mastered the science, best of the Kurus; let them show their skill, with your permission.' Dhritarashtra said: 'O son of Bharadvaja, a great deed has been accomplished by you; when you deem the time right, in whatever place and however it may be, arrange it so — command me yourself for the arrangement. I envy now, from sorrow, those who have eyes, who will see my sons distinguished in arms. O Kshattar, whatever the guru-teacher says, do that; for I do not think there could be for me a joy like this, O lover of dharma.'
f8f30f2736ef · published Jul 12, 2026, 4:53:32 PM UTC
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Here the father's joy is shadowed by the bitterness of his blindness. Dhritarashtra's words are telling: 'I envy those who have eyes, who will see my sons' — a blind king cannot with his own eyes delight in his children's triumph. In this lies both human pathos and a subtle symbol: Dhritarashtra's bodily blindness prefigures his blindness of spirit — the partial love for his sons that will deprive him of discernment of dharma. It is telling that even in his joy he is concerned not with the good of all but with 'my sons': even here his partiality shows through. Thus the scripture reveals the king's twofold blindness — of the eyes and of the heart — destined to become a source of calamity; and his very envy of the sighted bitterly foreshadows that he will never 'see' the truth until it turns to ruin.