Shloka 26
Sanatsujāta-Āhvāna (Summoning Sanatsujāta) — Vidura’s Invocation and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Doubt
धघतयाट्र उवाच यानिहाहुः स्वस्य धर्मस्य लोकान् द्विजातीनां पुण्यकृतां सनातनान् । तेषां क्रमान् कथय ततो<पि चान्यान् नैतद् विद्वन् वेत्तुमिच्छामि कर्म,धृतराष्ट्र बोले-विद्वन! पुण्यकर्म करनेवाले द्विजातियोंको अपने-अपने धर्मके फलस्वरूप जिन सनातन लोकोंकी प्राप्ति बतायी गयी है, उनका क्रम बतलाइये तथा उनसे भिन्न जो अन्यान्य लोक हैं, उनका भी निरूपण कीजिये। अब मैं सकाम कर्मकी बात नहीं जानना चाहता
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | yān ihāhuḥ svasya dharmasya lokān dvijātīnāṃ puṇyakṛtāṃ sanātanān | teṣāṃ kramān kathaya tato 'pi cānyān naitad vidvan vettum icchāmi karma ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra said: “Learned one, describe in due order those eternal worlds that are said to be attained by the twice-born who perform meritorious deeds, each according to his own dharma. And also explain the other worlds distinct from those. I do not wish to know about action performed with desire for its fruits.”
धघतयाट्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-centered inquiry: the king asks for an ordered account of the enduring realms attained through meritorious conduct aligned with one’s own duty, while expressing disinterest in actions pursued for selfish, fruit-seeking motives.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses a learned interlocutor and requests a systematic explanation of the posthumous destinations (lokas) promised to virtuous twice-born people according to their dharma, including other distinct realms, indicating a turn from curiosity about desire-driven ritual rewards toward a broader ethical-spiritual understanding.