Shloka 5
धृतराष्ट्रस्य वनप्रस्थानानुज्ञा | Permission for Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Forest-Retirement
पुत्र संशाम्यतां तावन््ममापि बलवान् श्रम: । इत्युक्त्वा प्राविशद् राजा गान्धार्या भवनं तदा,“बेटा! अब शान्त रहो। मुझे बोलनेमें बड़ा परिश्रम होता है (अब तो मैं जानेकी ही अनुमति चाहता हूँ)।' ऐसा कहकर राजा धृतराष्ट्रने उस समय गान्धारीके भवनमें प्रवेश किया अपि तत्र न वो मन्दो दुर्बुद्धिरपराद्धवान् । दुर्योधनने जब अकण्टक राज्यका उपभोग किया था, उस समय उस खोटी बुद्धिवाले मूर्ख नरेशने भी आपलोगोंका कोई अपराध नहीं किया था (वह केवल पाण्डवोंके साथ अन्याय करता रहा) ।। ४ $ || तस्यापराधाद् दुर्बुद्धेरभिमानान्महीक्षिताम्
putra saṁśāmyatāṁ tāvan mamāpi balavān śramaḥ | ity uktvā prāviśad rājā gāndhāryā bhavanaṁ tadā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Son, be calm for the moment. Even for me, speaking has become a heavy strain.” Having said this, King Dhṛtarāṣṭra then entered Gāndhārī’s residence. The moment underscores the exhaustion of grief and the ethical weight of speech: restraint and composure are urged when emotions and responsibility have become overwhelming.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights restraint in moments of intense sorrow: calming oneself is a dharmic response, and even necessary speech can become ethically and emotionally burdensome; recognizing one’s limits and choosing silence or withdrawal can be appropriate.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses someone as “son,” asking for calm, admitting his own fatigue from speaking, and then withdraws into Gāndhārī’s residence—signaling a pause in confrontation or lament and a turn inward amid the post-war atmosphere.