Shloka 4
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Public Request for Consent to Enter the Forest (अनुज्ञा-प्रार्थना)
कम्बलानि च रत्नानि ग्रामान् क्षेत्र तथा धनम् । सालड्कारान् गजानश्चान् कन्याश्वैव वरस्त्रिय:
kambalāni ca ratnāni grāmān kṣetrāṇi tathā dhanam | sa-alaṅkārān gajān caiva kanyāś caiva vara-striyaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “They offered blankets and precious gems, as well as villages, fields, and wealth; elephants adorned with ornaments, and also maidens and noble women.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the scale of dāna and royal largesse—material prosperity being distributed as part of duty and social order—while also inviting reflection on the moral complexity of listing people among transferable ‘gifts’ in epic-era conventions.
Vaiśampāyana enumerates the items being given: textiles, jewels, land grants, wealth, ornamented elephants, and women—an inventory-style description emphasizing abundance and the formal character of the donations.