Text 19
anyathā tv ācaraḻ loke
garhito yāsyase tamaḥ
tasmāt samatve vartasva
pāṇḍaveṣv ātmajeṣu ca
anyathā — otherwise; tu — however; ācaran — acting; loke — in this world; garhitaḥ — condemned; yāsyase — you will attain; tamaḥ — darkness; tasmāt — therefore; samatve — in equanimity; vartasva — remain situated; pāṇḍaveṣu — toward the Pāṇḍavas; ātma-jeṣu — toward your sons; ca — and.
If you act otherwise, however, people will condemn you in this world, and in the next life you will enter the darkness of hell. Remain equally disposed, therefore, toward Pāṇḍu’s sons and your own.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s whole problem was his excessive attachment to his nasty sons. That was the fatal flaw that caused his downfall. There was no lack of good advice from all sides, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra even admitted that the advice was sound, but he could not follow it. One can have clear, practical intelligence when the mind and heart are pure.