Shloka 23
धृतराष्ट्राश्रमगमनम् — The Pandavas’ Procession to Dhritarashtra’s Hermitage
राजा च पाण्डवै: सार्थमिष्टे देशे सहानुग: । निवासमकरोदू धीमान् सस्त्रीवृद्धपुर:सर:,बुद्धिमान् राजा धृतराष्ट्र स्त्रियों और वृद्धोंको आगे करके पाण्डवों तथा सेवकोंके साथ वहाँ अभीष्ट स्थानमें ठहरे
vaiśampāyana uvāca | rājā ca pāṇḍavaiḥ sārtham iṣṭe deśe sahānugaḥ | nivāsam akarod dhīmān sa-strī-vṛddha-puraḥsaraḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: The wise king Dhṛtarāṣṭra, accompanied by his attendants, took up residence in a chosen and agreeable place together with the Pāṇḍavas, placing the women and the elderly in front—an act reflecting care, propriety, and the dharma of protection in a time of withdrawal from worldly power.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid political decline and personal loss, dharma expresses itself through orderly conduct and protection: the vulnerable (women and elders) are honored and safeguarded first, while the powerful accept a disciplined, restrained mode of life.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra, no longer ruling, settles in a suitable place together with the Pāṇḍavas and his attendants, arranging the group so that women and the elderly go foremost, indicating a careful, respectful transition into an ashrama-like residence.