Mahabharata · 7.157.17–18
॥
Devanāgarī
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच
विरोधी च कुमन्त्री च प्राज्ञमानी ममात्मजः ॥
यस्यैष समतिक्रान्तो वधोपायो जयं प्रति ॥
तवापि समतिक्रान्तम् एतद् गावल्गणे कथम् ॥
एतम् अर्थं महाबुद्धे यत् त्वया नावबोधितः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
virodhī ca kumantrī ca prājñamānī mamātmajaḥ ||
yasyaiṣa samatikrānto vadhopāyo jayaṃ prati ||
tavāpi samatikrāntam etad gāvalgaṇe katham ||
etam arthaṃ mahābuddhe yat tvayā nāvabodhitaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
विरोधी च कुमन्त्री चvirodhī ca kumantrī cahostile and ill-counseled; hostile and ill-counseled
प्राज्ञमानी मम आत्मजःprājñamānī mama ātmajaḥthinking himself wise, my son; thinking himself wise, my son
यस्य एषः समतिक्रान्तःyasya eṣaḥ samatikrāntaḥ[by] whom this was passed over; who let slip this
वधोपायः जयम् प्रतिvadhopāyaḥ jayam pratithe means of slaying, toward victory; the means of slaying, toward victory
तव अपि समतिक्रान्तम्tava api samatikrāntamby you too passed over; by you too let slip
एतत् गावल्गणे कथम्etat gāvalgaṇe kathamthis, O Gavalgani, how; this, O Gavalgani, how [is it]
एतम् अर्थम् महाबुद्धेetam artham mahābuddhethis matter, O most wise; this matter, O most wise
यत् त्वया न अवबोधितःyat tvayā na avabodhitaḥthat by you not explained; that was not explained by you [to him]
Translation
"Hostile, and ill-counseled, and thinking himself wise — my son, who let slip this means of slaying toward victory. And how is it that you too let this slip, O Gavalgani [Sanjaya]? This matter, O most wise, that was not explained by you [to him]?"
Version
b69ec09f5576 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:58:11 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Dhritarashtra, blaming his son, at once blames Sanjaya too: why did he not enlighten him? It is telling that the father seeks the guilty everywhere except at the root — his own complicity in the feud. The verse teaches that the habit of shifting blame is insatiable: having reproached one, it reaches for another; whoever refuses to acknowledge his own share in a calamity will endlessly seek the guilty without, finding neither peace nor truth.