Shloka 5
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Public Request for Consent to Enter the Forest (अनुज्ञा-प्रार्थना)
तदनन्तर उन्होंने भीष्मजी तथा अपने पुत्रोंके श्राद्धके लिये सुयोग्य एवं श्रेष्ठ ब्रह्मर्षियों सहस्रों सुहदोंको निमन्त्रित किया। निमन्त्रित करके उनके लिये अन्न
uddiśyoddiśya sarvebhyo dadau sa nṛpasattamaḥ | droṇaṃ saṅkīrtya bhīṣmaṃ ca somadattaṃ ca bāhvīkam ||
Then that best of kings invited thousands of worthy Brahmarṣis and well-wishers for the śrāddha rites of Bhīṣma and his sons. Having invited them, he gathered food and drink, conveyances, coverings, gold, gems, and precious stones, male and female servants, goats and sheep, blankets, choice jewels, villages, fields, wealth, elephants and horses adorned with ornaments, and beautiful maidens. Thereafter, intending the offerings for each departed one, he named the dead one by one and made separate gifts for their respective śrāddhas—pronouncing Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Somadatta, and Bāhlīka.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma expressed through śrāddha and dāna: one honors the departed by dedicating gifts with clear intention (uddiśya), naming them explicitly, and giving appropriately to worthy recipients. Ethical emphasis falls on responsibility toward the dead and the purifying, reconciliatory role of generosity after catastrophe.
A king performs memorial rites for those who have died, distributing gifts to the assembled Brahmarṣis and others. He dedicates each donation to a specific deceased person by reciting their names—Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Somadatta, Bāhlīka, and others—thus making individualized offerings rather than a single undifferentiated act.