ततः प्रव्यथितात्मासौ पुत्रशोकसमन्वितः ॥
ममार तं मृतं दृष्ट्वा देवापिः संश्रितो वनम् ॥
बाह्लीको मातुलकुले त्यक्त्वा राज्यं व्यवस्थितः ॥
पितृभ्रातॄन् परित्यज्य प्राप्तवान् पुरम् ऋद्धिमत् ॥
बाह्लीकेन त्व् अनुज्ञातः शंतनुर् लोकविश्रुतः ॥
पितर्य् उपरते राजन् राजा राज्यम् अकारयत् ॥
तथैवाहं मतिमता परिचिन्त्येह पाण्डुना ॥
ज्येष्ठः प्रभ्रंशितो राज्याद् धीनाङ्ग इति भारत ॥
पाण्डुस् तु राज्यं संप्राप्तः कनीयान् अपि सन् नृपः ॥
विनाशे तस्य पुत्राणाम् इदं राज्यम् अरिंदम ॥
मय्य् अभागिनि राज्याय कथं त्वं राज्यम् इच्छसि ॥
tataḥ pravyathitātmāsau putraśokasamanvitaḥ ||
mamāra taṃ mṛtaṃ dṛṣṭvā devāpiḥ saṃśrito vanam ||
bāhlīko mātulakule tyaktvā rājyaṃ vyavasthitaḥ ||
pitṛbhrātṝn parityajya prāptavān puram ṛddhimat ||
bāhlīkena tv anujñātaḥ śaṃtanur lokaviśrutaḥ ||
pitary uparate rājan rājā rājyam akārayat ||
tathaivāhaṃ matimatā paricintyeha pāṇḍunā ||
jyeṣṭhaḥ prabhraṃśito rājyād dhīnāṅga iti bhārata ||
pāṇḍus tu rājyaṃ saṃprāptaḥ kanīyān api san nṛpaḥ ||
vināśe tasya putrāṇām idaṃ rājyam ariṃdama ||
mayy abhāgini rājyāya kathaṃ tvaṃ rājyam icchasi ||
'After this, he, shaken in spirit and overcome with grief for his son, died; seeing him dead, Devapi went into the forest. Bahlika, relinquishing the kingdom, settled in the household of his maternal uncle; forsaking his father and brothers, he arrived at a prosperous city. With Bahlika's consent, the renowned Shantanu, when his father died, O king, became king and ruled the realm. In just the same way, O Bharata, I was set aside from the kingdom as the eldest, when the wise Pandu, having considered the matter, decided: "he lacks a sound body." Pandu, though the younger, obtained the kingdom and became its ruler. Were his sons to perish, this kingdom, O queller of foes, would fall to me, unfortunate and deprived of my royal share; how then can you desire the kingdom?'
da2205a4439d · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:17:17 AM UTC
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Dhritarashtra proves to Duryodhana the Pandavas' right not through abstract morality but through examples from their own family history. Seniority by itself does not confer power when dharma, the capacity to rule, and the consent of elders have been violated; legitimate succession belongs to the one who unites rightful claim with the qualities of a ruler.