Shloka 22

धृतराष्ट्रस्य वनप्रस्थानानुज्ञा | Permission for Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Forest-Retirement

Devanagari script

मम चान्धस्य वृद्धस्य हतपुत्रस्य का गति: । ऋते वन॑ महाभागास्तन्मानुज्ञातुमरहथ

Transliteration

mama cāndhasya vṛddhasya hataputrasya kā gatiḥ | ṛte vanaṃ mahābhāgās tan mānu jñātum arhatha ||

Translation

«Quant à moi —aveugle, vieilli, privé de mes fils—, quelle voie, quel refuge me reste-t-il ? Ô nobles seigneurs, hormis partir pour la forêt, il ne demeure rien ; accordez-moi donc la permission.»

Word by Word

• मम: of me / my
• मम: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अन्धस्य: of (one who is) blind
• अन्धस्य: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्ध
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• वृद्धस्य: of (one who is) old
• वृद्धस्य: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• हतपुत्रस्य: of one whose son is slain / bereft of sons
• हतपुत्रस्य: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हतपुत्र
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• का: what (kind of)
• का: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम्
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गतिः: course, refuge, fate, way
• गतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ऋते: without, except (for)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऋते

• वनम्: the forest
• वनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महाभागाः: O greatly fortunate ones / O noble ones
• महाभागाः: सम्बोधन
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तत्: that (request/act)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अनुज्ञातुम्: to permit, to grant leave
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-ज्ञा
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive), परस्मैपद-भाव, —

• अरहथ: you are fit / you ought
• अरहथ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह्
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यम, बहुवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'blind, aged, bereaved of sons')
• forest (vana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When worldly supports collapse—through age, loss, and the aftermath of wrongdoing—dharma may require withdrawal from power and possessions. The verse frames the forest life as a morally appropriate refuge, sought with humility and proper consent rather than impulsive escape.

What is happening in the narrative?

The blind, elderly king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) laments that his sons are dead and asks the assembled noble persons to allow him to depart for the forest. It marks his resolve to leave the courtly life behind and enter a stage of austere retirement.