Shloka 27
Vidura’s Message to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: Authorization for Dāna and Public Welfare (विदुरवाक्यम्—दानानुज्ञा)
उक्तवान् नृपतीनां त्वं महेन्द्रस्य सलोकताम् | न त्वस्य नृपतेलोंका: कथितास्ते महामुने
uktavān nṛpatīnāṁ tvaṁ mahendrasya salokatām | na tv asya nṛpate lokāḥ kathitās te mahāmune ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “You have spoken of many kings attaining the same world as Mahendra (Indra). But, O great sage, you have not told us what world this king Dhṛtarāṣṭra will go to.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights moral causality and accountability: different beings attain different realms according to their deeds, so the listener seeks clarity about Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s specific destination rather than assuming the same reward granted to other kings.
After hearing descriptions of various kings attaining Indra’s world, the interlocutor points out an omission and asks the sage to specify which realm Dhṛtarāṣṭra will reach, continuing the inquiry into the outcomes of the characters’ lives.