Shloka 17
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Public Request for Consent to Enter the Forest (अनुज्ञा-प्रार्थना)
जब अनेक प्रकारके दान देते-देते राजा धृतराष्ट्र बहुत थक गये, तब उन्होंने उस दान- यज्ञको बंद किया ।।
evaṁ sa rājā kauravyaś cakre dāna-mahākratum | naṭa-nartaka-lāsyādyaṁ baddhānnarasa-dakṣiṇam, kuru-nandana |
वैशम्पायन बोले— कुरुनन्दन! इस प्रकार कौरववंशी राजा धृतराष्ट्र ने दान-रूप महान् यज्ञ का अनुष्ठान किया। उसमें प्रचुर अन्न, मधुर रसादि तथा असंख्य दक्षिणाएँ दी गईं; और उस उत्सव में नटों-नर्तकों के नाच-गान का भी आयोजन था।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames charity (dāna) as a yajña-like act: a disciplined, public offering that sustains society. It suggests that righteous giving—food, provisions, and proper dakṣiṇā—can function as a moral rite, emphasizing responsibility and merit through generosity.
Vaiśampāyana describes Dhṛtarāṣṭra conducting a grand donation-festival, richly supplied with food, drinks, and abundant gifts, along with organized performances by actors and dancers. In the surrounding context, after prolonged giving that leaves him fatigued, the king concludes the charitable rite.