Dhritarashtra Blames Karna and Evil Advisers
Blind King Dhritarashtra turns his anger on Karna, whose harsh words brought Draupadi to the assembly hall. He laments that his son Duryodhana ignores his counsel while heeding evil advisers — and that when Arjuna, Bhima, and Krishna are angered, nothing will remain of his sons.
Sanjaya finished his reply. Dhritarashtra spoke again.
“What has Karna achieved by uttering those harsh words?” he asked. “It was extreme enmity that brought Krishna to the assembly hall thus. How can my sons be other than evil-minded when their eldest brother and superior is not established in propriety?”
He was speaking of himself — the eldest, the superior, the blind king whose lack of sight had become, in his own telling, a lack of enterprise and intelligence in the eyes of his son. “On seeing that I lack eyes, that bringer of misfortune thinks I lack enterprise and intelligence, and does not pay heed to my words.”
And those who advised Duryodhana — Karna, Soubala, the others — were bereft of intelligence themselves. They extended his many vices rather than restraining them.
Dhritarashtra’s mind turned to Arjuna. Even if the infinitely energetic Partha shot arrows playfully, they would scorch his sons — not to speak of when they were shot in wrath. Unleashed from the great bow with the strength of Partha’s arms and energized with celestial mantras, those arrows could strike down even the gods.
“What can one who has Hari Janardana, the protector of the three worlds, as his adviser, protector and well-wisher, not conquer?”
And then there was the wonder he had heard: that Arjuna had clasped Mahadeva with his arms. All the worlds had witnessed what had been done in Khandava earlier — with Damodara, Phalguna had aided the fire.
“When Partha, Bhima, Vasudeva and the Satvatas are angered,” Dhritarashtra said, “nothing will be left of my sons, with their advisers and their relatives.” Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 343