Shloka 17
Sanatsujāta-Āhvāna (Summoning Sanatsujāta) — Vidura’s Invocation and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Doubt
धृतराष्ट्र रवाच यानेवाहुरिज्यया साधुलोकान् द्विजातीनां पुण्यतमान् सनातनान् | तेषां परार्थ कथयन्तीह वेदा एतद् विद्वान नोपैति कथं नु कर्म
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca—yān evāhur ijyayā sādhulokān dvijātīnāṁ puṇyatamān sanātanān | teṣāṁ parārthaṁ kathayantīha vedā etad vidvān nopaiti kathaṁ nu karma ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra sprach: „Jene ewigen und höchst verdienstvollen Welten für die Zweimalgeborenen, die man durch Opfer erlangen soll—die Veden selbst verkünden sie hier als das höchste Ziel des Menschen. Wer dies weiß, warum sollte ein Weiser nicht Zuflucht zur rechten Tat nehmen? Wie könnte man dann solches Karma nicht erstreben?“
सनत्युजात उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames Vedicly-sanctioned righteous action—especially sacrificial duty (ijyā/yajña) leading to meritorious, enduring realms—as a recognized ‘highest aim’ for the twice-born, and challenges why a truly wise person would neglect such dharmic karma.
In the Sanatsujātīya section of Udyoga Parva, Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Sanatsujāta about the value of action and the Vedic promise of higher worlds through sacrifice, pressing the point that if the Vedas praise such ends, a learned person should naturally pursue righteous deeds.