Shloka 33
Vidura’s Message to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: Authorization for Dāna and Public Welfare (विदुरवाक्यम्—दानानुज्ञा)
ततः कुबेरभवनं गान्धारीसहितो नृपः । प्रयाता धृतराष्ट्रोड्यं राजराजाभिसत्कृत:
tataḥ kuberabhavanaṃ gāndhārīsahito nṛpaḥ | prayātā dhṛtarāṣṭro ’dyaṃ rājarājābhisatkṛtaḥ ||
Nārada said: “Thereafter, King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, accompanied by Gāndhārī, will depart for Kubera’s celestial abode. Honoured there by Kubera, the king of kings, he will mount a wish-moving aerial car and, adorned with divine garments and ornaments, will roam at will among the worlds of the gods, Gandharvas, and Rākṣasas. Through the power of his austerities, all the sins of the dharma-minded Dhṛtarāṣṭra will be burned away. O King, this is the very answer to what you asked me.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage emphasizes that sincere tapas (austerity and disciplined renunciation) can purify past wrongdoing: even a king burdened by grave moral failures may have his pāpa ‘burned away’ through dharmic resolve, leading to an elevated posthumous state.
Nārada foretells Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s future: accompanied by Gāndhārī, he will reach Kubera’s realm, be honoured by Kubera, ride a wish-moving vimāna, and freely traverse celestial worlds—signifying the fruition of his ascetic life in the forest.