धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
भगवन् नाहम् अप्य् एतद् रोचये द्यूतसंस्तवम् ॥
मन्ये तद् विधिनाक्रम्य कारितो ऽस्मीति वै मुने ॥
नैतद् रोचयते भीष्मो न द्रोणो विदुरो न च ॥
गान्धारी नेच्छति द्यूतं तच् च मोहात् प्रवर्तितम् ॥
परित्यक्तुं न शक्नोमि दुर्योधनम् अचेतनम् ॥
पुत्रस्नेहेन भगवञ् जानन्न् अपि यतव्रत ॥
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
bhagavan nāham apy etad rocaye dyūtasaṃstavam ||
manye tad vidhinākramya kārito 'smīti vai mune ||
naitad rocayate bhīṣmo na droṇo viduro na ca ||
gāndhārī necchati dyūtaṃ tac ca mohāt pravartitam ||
parityaktuṃ na śaknomi duryodhanam acetanam ||
putrasnehena bhagavañ jānann api yatavrata ||
Dhritarashtra said: "O lord, I myself take no pleasure in this gathering around the game of dice. I think fate seized me and compelled me to do it, O sage. Bhishma does not approve of it, nor do Drona and Vidura; Gandhari does not wish for the game — all of this came about from delusion. But I cannot abandon the unwise Duryodhana, O lord: out of love for my son, even knowing better, I cannot do otherwise, O keeper of vows."
ff6c3e7db306 · published Jul 16, 2026, 4:33:28 PM UTC
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Dhritarashtra already sees the wrong, yet hides his responsibility behind the word "fate." This is a familiar weakness: it is easier to acknowledge evil than to tear one's heart away from it.