holy-bhagavad-gita

अनन्तविजयं राजा कुन्तीपुत्रो युधिष्ठिर: |
नकुल: सहदेवश्च सुघोषमणिपुष्पकौ || 16||
काश्यश्च परमेष्वास: शिखण्डी च महारथ: |
धृष्टद्युम्नो विराटश्च सात्यकिश्चापराजित: || 17||
द्रुपदो द्रौपदेयाश्च सर्वश: पृथिवीपते |
सौभद्रश्च महाबाहु: शङ्खान्दध्मु: पृथक् पृथक् || 18||


1.16-18: King Yudhishthir, blew the Anantavijay, while Nakul and Sahadev blew the Sughosh and Manipushpak. The excellent archer and king of Kashi, the great warrior Shikhandi, Dhrishtadyumna, Virat, and the invincible Satyaki, Drupad, the five sons of Draupadi, and the mighty-armed Abhimanyu, son of Subhadra, all blew their respective conch shells, O Ruler of the earth.

Commentary: Yudhisthir was the eldest of the Pandava brothers. Here, he is being called “King”; he had earned the right to that title after performing the Rājasūya Yajña and receiving tribute from all the other kings. Also, his bearing exuded royal grace and magnanimity, whether he was in the palace or in exile in the forest.

Dhritarashtra is being called “Ruler of the earth” by Sanjay. To preserve a country or engage it in a ruinous warfare is all in the hands of the ruler. So the hidden implication in the appellation is, “The armies are heading for war. O Ruler, Dhritarashtra, you alone can call them back. What are you going to decide?”