Shloka 12
अर्जुन–युधिष्ठिर–विदुर संवादः
Arjuna and Yudhiṣṭhira instruct Vidura on honoring Dhṛtarāṣṭra
स दीक्षां तत्र सम्प्राप्प राजा कौरवनन्दन: । शतयूपाश्रमे तस्मिन् निवासमकरोत् तदा,तत्पश्चात् उन्हींसे वनवासकी दीक्षा लेकर कौरवनन्दन राजा धुृतराष्ट्र पूर्वोक्त शतयूपके आश्रममें लौट आये और वहीं निवास करने लगे
sa dīkṣāṃ tatra samprāpya rājā kauravanandanaḥ | śatayūpāśrame tasmin nivāsam akarot tadā ||
Nachdem er dort die vorgeschriebene Weihe für die Lebensordnung des Waldbewohners (vānaprastha) empfangen hatte, kehrte der Kuruprinz — König Dhṛtarāṣṭra — in die Einsiedelei Śatayūpas zurück und nahm dort Wohnung.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights āśrama-dharma: after fulfilling (and being burdened by) royal life, one may turn toward disciplined renunciation. Receiving dīkṣā signifies a conscious ethical shift—accepting restraint, simplicity, and accountability rather than continuing in attachment and power.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, described as a Kuru prince, receives the initiation for forest-dwelling discipline and then returns to the Śatayūpa hermitage, where he begins residing in accordance with that vowed way of life.