Shloka 17
कुन्ती–व्याससंवादः
Kuntī–Vyāsa Dialogue on Durvāsā’s Boon and Karṇa’s Birth
धृतराष्ट्रं समुद्दिश्य ददौ स पृथिवीपति: । सुवर्ण रजतं गाश्न शय्याश्व सुमहाधना:
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ samuddiśya dadau sa pṛthivīpatiḥ |
suvarṇa-rajataṃ gāś ca śayyāśvān sumahādhanān ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Addressing Dhṛtarāṣṭra by name, that lord of the earth—King Yudhiṣṭhira—made gifts: gold and silver, cows, and richly valuable beds and horses, bestowing excellent charity separately in honor of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Gāndhārī, and Kuntī. The act underscores the king’s dharmic resolve to care for elders and to practice generosity even after the devastations of war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dāna as a royal and ethical duty: a righteous king honors and supports elders and dependents through generous, respectful giving, even when past relationships were marked by conflict.
Yudhiṣṭhira, as king, formally dedicates and distributes valuable gifts—gold, silver, cows, beds, and horses—specifically in the names of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and (as the prose context notes) also for Gāndhārī and Kuntī, demonstrating care for the senior members of the Kuru household.