मैत्रेय उवाच
तीर्थयात्राम् अनुक्रामन् प्राप्तो ऽस्मि कुरुजाङ्गलम् ॥
यदृच्छया धर्मराजं दृष्टवान् काम्यके वने ॥
तं जटाजिनसंवीतं तपोवननिवासिनम् ॥
समाजग्मुर् महात्मानं द्रष्टुं मुनिगणाः प्रभो ॥
तत्राश्रौषं महाराज पुत्राणां तव विभ्रमम् ॥
अनयं द्यूतरूपेण महापायम् उपस्थितम् ॥
ततो ऽहं त्वाम् अनुप्राप्तः कौरवाणाम् अवेक्षया ॥
सदा ह्य् अभ्यधिकः स्नेहः प्रीतिश् च त्वयि मे प्रभो ॥
नैतद् औपयिकं राजंस् त्वयि भीष्मे च जीवति ॥
यद् अन्योन्येन ते पुत्रा विरुध्यन्ते नराधिप ॥
मेढीभूतः स्वयं राजन् निग्रहे प्रग्रहे भवान् ॥
किमर्थम् अनयं घोरम् उत्पतन्तम् उपेक्षसे ॥
दस्यूनाम् इव यद्वृत्तं सभायां कुरुनन्दन ॥
तेन न भ्राजसे राजंस् तापसानां समागमे ॥
maitreya uvāca
tīrthayātrām anukrāman prāpto 'smi kurujāṅgalam ||
yadṛcchayā dharmarājaṃ dṛṣṭavān kāmyake vane ||
taṃ jaṭājinasaṃvītaṃ tapovananivāsinam ||
samājagmur mahātmānaṃ draṣṭuṃ munigaṇāḥ prabho ||
tatrāśrauṣaṃ mahārāja putrāṇāṃ tava vibhramam ||
anayaṃ dyūtarūpeṇa mahāpāyam upasthitam ||
tato 'haṃ tvām anuprāptaḥ kauravāṇām avekṣayā ||
sadā hy abhyadhikaḥ snehaḥ prītiś ca tvayi me prabho ||
naitad aupayikaṃ rājaṃs tvayi bhīṣme ca jīvati ||
yad anyonyena te putrā virudhyante narādhipa ||
meḍhībhūtaḥ svayaṃ rājan nigrahe pragrahe bhavān ||
kimartham anayaṃ ghoram utpatantam upekṣase ||
dasyūnām iva yadvṛttaṃ sabhāyāṃ kurunandana ||
tena na bhrājase rājaṃs tāpasānāṃ samāgame ||
Maitreya said: "Journeying among holy places, I came to Kurujangala, and by chance saw Dharmaraja in the Kamyaka forest. He lives in the forest of ascetics, clad in matted hair and a hide, and hosts of sages gathered to see that great soul. There I heard, O great king, of the delusion of your sons — of the lawlessness in the form of the game of dice, which became a great peril. So I have come to you, out of concern for the Kauravas, for I have always felt special affection and love for you. While you and Bhishma are alive, it is not fitting that your sons should quarrel with one another. You yourself must be the pivot of restraint and support: why do you tolerate this dreadful disorder as it grows? What happened in the assembly was like the conduct of bandits; because of this you do not shine among the ascetics."
0b1253668e57 · published Jul 16, 2026, 4:44:34 PM UTC
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Maitreya speaks not with courtly caution but with the voice of a rishi. His rebuke is precise: a true elder does not merely sympathize — he holds the family back from ruin. If the elder stays silent before lawlessness, his honor dims even among the holy.