Shloka 17
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Public Request for Consent to Enter the Forest (अनुज्ञा-प्रार्थना)
जब अनेक प्रकारके दान देते-देते राजा धृतराष्ट्र बहुत थक गये, तब उन्होंने उस दान- यज्ञको बंद किया ।।
evaṁ sa rājā kauravyaś cakre dāna-mahākratum | naṭa-nartaka-lāsyādyaṁ baddhānnarasa-dakṣiṇam, kuru-nandana |
Vaiśampāyana said: When, after giving many kinds of gifts, King Dhṛtarāṣṭra grew very weary, he brought that donation-sacrifice to an end. And, O joy of the Kurus, thus King Dhṛtarāṣṭra of the Kuru line performed a great sacrifice in the form of giving, furnished with abundant food, sweet drinks and other relishes, and countless dakṣiṇā as priestly fees; and in that festival there were also entertainments—songs, dances, and performances by actors and dancers.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames charity (dāna) as a yajña-like act: a disciplined, public offering that sustains society. It suggests that righteous giving—food, provisions, and proper dakṣiṇā—can function as a moral rite, emphasizing responsibility and merit through generosity.
Vaiśampāyana describes Dhṛtarāṣṭra conducting a grand donation-festival, richly supplied with food, drinks, and abundant gifts, along with organized performances by actors and dancers. In the surrounding context, after prolonged giving that leaves him fatigued, the king concludes the charitable rite.