Shloka 11
धृतराष्ट्रस्य युधिष्ठिरं प्रति व्यवहार-रक्षा-नियमनोपदेशः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Instruction on Administration, Punishment, and Daily Governance
दिष्ट्या त्वद्य महाबाहो धृतराष्ट्र: प्रयाचते,इति श्रीमहाभारते आश्रमवासिके पर्वणि आश्रमवासपर्वणि एकादशो<ध्याय: ।।
dṛṣṭyā tv adya mahābāho dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ prayācate | vaiśampāyana uvāca ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “By good fortune, O mighty-armed one, today Dhṛtarāṣṭra is making his request.” The line signals a hopeful turn in the narrative: after long suffering and moral strain, the elder king’s act of asking—seeking permission, guidance, or reconciliation—marks a movement toward restraint, humility, and the dharmic closure appropriate to the forest-dwelling stage of life.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A dharmic shift is implied: when an elder who has endured grief and responsibility chooses to ‘ask’ rather than command, it reflects humility, self-restraint, and readiness for the ethical transition toward vānaprastha (forest-dwelling) values—seeking counsel, permission, and reconciliation.
The narrator announces an auspicious development: Dhṛtarāṣṭra is about to make a formal request. This functions as a narrative hinge, preparing the listener for the next action or decision connected with withdrawal from courtly life and the moral settling of remaining duties.