Shloka 13
Vyāsa’s Inquiry into Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Tapas and the Identification of Vidura with Dharma
इत्युक्त: कौरवो राजा व्यासेनातुलतेजसा । युधिष्ठिरमथाहूय वाग्मी वचनमत्रवीत्,अनुपम तेजस्वी व्यासजीके ऐसा कहनेपर प्रवचनकुशल कुरुराज धृतराष्ट्रने युधिष्ठिरको बुलाकर इस प्रकार कहा--
ity uktaḥ kauravo rājā vyāsenātulatejasā | yudhiṣṭhiram athāhūya vāgmī vacanam abravīt ||
Waiśampāyana berkata: “Setelah dinasihati demikian oleh Vyāsa yang bercahaya tiada banding, raja Kuru, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, lalu memanggil Yudhiṣṭhira dan—dengan kefasihan—mengucapkan kata-kata ini.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of speech and counsel in a post-war setting: after receiving guidance from a spiritually authoritative elder (Vyāsa), the king acts with deliberation by summoning Yudhiṣṭhira, implying that decisions affecting dharma should be made through accountable dialogue and respectful consultation.
Vyāsa has just spoken to the Kuru king Dhṛtarāṣṭra. In response, Dhṛtarāṣṭra calls Yudhiṣṭhira to him and begins to speak—introducing the next segment of instruction or request within the Āśramavāsika context of withdrawal to the forest and reckoning with past actions.