Shloka 36

धृतराष्ट्रस्य पाण्डवेषु प्रीति-वृत्तान्तः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Affectionate Disposition toward the Pāṇḍavas

Devanagari script

राजा गुरु: प्राणभृतां तस्मादेतद्‌ ब्रवीम्यहम्‌ । अनुज्ञातस्त्वया वीर संश्रयेयं वनान्यहम्‌

Transliteration

rājā guruḥ prāṇabhṛtāṁ tasmād etad bravīmy aham | anujñātas tvayā vīra saṁśrayeyaṁ vanāny aham ||

Translation

Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “A king is like a venerable teacher to all living beings; therefore I make this request. O hero, once I have your permission, I shall take refuge in the forests.”

Word by Word

• {'rājā': 'king', 'guruḥ': 'teacher

• one worthy of reverence', 'prāṇabhṛtām': 'of living beings (lit. ‘bearers of life’)', 'tasmāt': 'therefore

• for that reason', 'etat': 'this (request/statement)', 'bravīmi': 'I say

• I declare', 'aham': 'I', 'anujñātaḥ': 'permitted

• granted leave', 'tvayā': 'by you', 'vīra': 'hero

• valiant one (vocative)', 'saṁśrayeyam': 'I would resort to

• I would take refuge in', 'vanāni': 'forests', 'aham (repeated)': 'I (emphatic repetition)'}

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• king (rājā)
• forests (vanāni)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames kingship as a moral guardianship: the king is ‘guru-like’ for all beings, and thus must act with humility and ethical responsibility. It also highlights the dharmic importance of seeking consent and transitioning toward renunciation (forest life) at the appropriate stage.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses a valiant interlocutor (vīra) and formally requests permission to withdraw from courtly life and depart for the forest, signaling a move toward ascetic retirement after the catastrophic events of the Kuru conflict.