Shloka 17
Vidura’s Message to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: Authorization for Dāna and Public Welfare (विदुरवाक्यम्—दानानुज्ञा)
पाण्डु: स्मरति ते नित्यं बलहन्तु: समीपग: । त्वां सदैव महाराज श्रेयसा स च योक्ष्यति
pāṇḍuḥ smarati te nityaṁ balahantuḥ samīpagaḥ | tvāṁ sadaiva mahārāja śreyasā sa ca yokṣyati ||
नारद बोले—बलहन्ता इन्द्र के समीप रहने वाले पाण्डु तुम्हें नित्य स्मरण करते हैं। हे महाराज, वे सदा तुम्हारा ध्यान रखते हैं और निश्चय ही तुम्हें कल्याण-श्रेय से संयुक्त करेंगे।
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even after death, bonds of kinship and goodwill can remain meaningful: the verse emphasizes constant remembrance and the assurance of śreyas (welfare/auspicious good), suggesting that righteous relations and blessings transcend immediate worldly loss.
Nārada consoles and informs the king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) about Pāṇḍu’s state: Pāṇḍu dwells near Indra in the celestial realm, remembers the king continually, and is portrayed as a source of auspicious benefit for him.