Shloka 1
धृतराष्ट्रस्य वनप्रस्थानानुज्ञा | Permission for Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Forest-Retirement
ऑपन-मा_ज बछ। अि<-छऋज अष्टमो>< ध्याय: धृतराष्ट्रका कुरुजांगलदेशकी प्रजासे वनमें जानेके लिये आज्ञा माँगना युधिछिर उवाच एवमेतत् करिष्यामि यथा55त्थ पृथिवीपते । भूयश्चैवानुशास्यो5हं भवता पार्थिवर्षभ,युधिष्ठिर बोले--पृथ्वीनाथ! नृपश्रेष्ठी] आप जैसा कहते हैं, वैसा ही करूँगा। अभी आप मुझे कुछ और उपदेश दीजिये अपड-#-रू- नवमो< ध्याय: प्रजाजनोंसे धृतराष्ट्रकी क्षमा-प्रार्थना धृतराष्ट्र रवाच शान्तनु: पालयामास यथावद् वसुधामिमाम् | तथा विचित्रवीर्यश्ष॒ भीष्मेण परिपालित:
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: evam etat kariṣyāmi yathāttha pṛthivīpate | bhūyaś caivānuśāsyo 'haṃ bhavatā pārthivarṣabha ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “So be it. I shall do exactly as you have spoken, O lord of the earth. Yet, O bull among kings, instruct me further still.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic kingship grounded in humility: even a righteous ruler like Yudhiṣṭhira accepts an elder’s directive and actively seeks further guidance, showing that ethical governance depends on continual instruction and deference to wise counsel.
In the Āśramavāsika context, Yudhiṣṭhira responds respectfully to the senior king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra), agreeing to act as instructed and requesting additional counsel—setting the tone for Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s impending move toward forest-life and the moral negotiations around it.