Shloka 30
Vyāsa’s Inquiry into Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Tapas and the Identification of Vidura with Dharma
ममापि न तथा राज्ञि राज्ये बुद्धिर्यथा पुरा । तपस्येवानुरक्त मे मन: सर्वात्मना तथा,“रानी माँ! अब मेरा मन भी पहलेकी तरह राजकाजमें नही लगता है। हर तरहसे तपस्या करनेको ही जी चाहता है
mamāpi na tathā rājñi rājye buddhir yathā purā | tapasy evānuraktam me manaḥ sarvātmanā tathā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O queen, my mind is no longer inclined toward the affairs of kingship as it once was. Instead, with my whole being, my heart is drawn to tapas—to austerity and spiritual discipline.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights vairāgya: when one recognizes the limits of political power and worldly duty, the mind may naturally turn toward tapas—self-discipline and spiritual striving—as a higher, purifying aim. It frames renunciation not as escapism but as an ethical reorientation of desire and resolve.
In the Ashramavāsika context, the speaker reports a shift in disposition: the person speaking to the queen confesses that interest in ruling and administration has faded, and that the heart is now wholly inclined toward an ascetic life. This reflects the post-war atmosphere of withdrawal and spiritual reckoning.