Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.49.19
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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garhitaḥ
—
condemned
Past participle of √garh — the censure of the wise. In the Bhāgavata's ethics, garhā by sādhus is itself a kind of punishment more weighty than law.
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tamaḥ
—
darkness (of hell)
Tamas as the third guṇa and as the name of hellish destinations (andha-tāmisra etc.). Said to a blind king, the word carries a quiet sting: Dhṛtarāṣṭra's outer blindness will be matched by inner darkness if he refuses samatva.
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samatve
—
in equanimity
Locative of samatva — the abstract noun from sama. The full Gauḍīya doctrine compresses here: outer fairness toward Pāṇḍavas and own sons is the political face of the inner sama-darśana the Gītā teaches.
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ātma-jeṣu
—
toward your sons
Ātma-ja literally 'born from oneself.' Akrūra names the very fact (these are your own offspring) that Dhṛtarāṣṭra has weaponised — yes, they are yours, but the Pāṇḍavas are equally claims on you.
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.
"But if you act otherwise you will go to hell (tamah)."
He speaks with a smile while laughing. Acting otherwise, you will attain great suffering (tamaḥ), such as death of your sons, and in the next life will have to endure hell.
If you do actions contrary to what I have said (anyathā), you will gain infamy and great suffering (tamas)—separation from your sons in this life and hell in the next life. By being equal (samatve) to your sons and the Pāṇḍavas there will not criticism from the public and good benefit.
Akrūra now turns the mirror's reverse face: the king who fails samatva will be cursed by men and find darkness after. The same Sanskrit word tamaḥ that names hell-realms also names what Dhṛtarāṣṭra's own eyes have always seen — and Akrūra makes the pun do its work without naming it.
My note
Source: vedabase.io