Shloka 2

धृतराष्ट्रस्य क्षमायाचनं तथा युधिष्ठिरे न्यासदानम् / Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Forgiveness and the Entrustment to Yudhiṣṭhira

Devanagari script

कार्तिक्यां कारयित्वेष्टिं ब्राह्मुणैवेंदपारगै:,उस दिन कार्तिककी पूर्णिमा थी। उसमें उन्होंने वेदके पारंगत विद्वान्‌ ब्राह्मणोंसे यात्राकालोचित इष्टि करवाकर वल्कल और मृगचर्म धारण किये और अग्निहोत्रको आगे करके पुत्र-वधुओंसे घिरे हुए राजा धृतराष्ट्र राजभवनसे बाहर निकले

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | kārtikyāṃ kārayitveṣṭiṃ brāhmaṇair vedapāragaiḥ |

Translation

ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໃນວັນເພັງເດືອນກາຣຕຕິກະ ກະສັດທຣິຕຣາສະຕຣະ ໄດ້ໃຫ້ພຣາຫມັນຜູ້ຊຳນານໃນເວດ ປະກອບພິທີອິດຕິ (iṣṭi) ຕາມການເດີນທາງ. ແລ້ວພຣະອົງນຸ່ງຫົ່ມເປືອກໄມ້ ແລະ ໜັງກວາງ; ນຳອັກນິໂຫຕຣະ (Agnihotra) ໄວ້ເປັນຫນ້າທີ່ສັກສິດຢູ່ຂ້າງໜ້າ; ແລະມີບັນດາລູກສະໄພ້ລ້ອມຮອບ ພຣະອົງຈຶ່ງອອກຈາກພະລາຊະວັງ».

Word by Word

कार्तिक्याम्on (the day of) Kārtikī (full-moon of Kārtika)

कारयित्वाhaving caused (to be done)

इष्टिम्a (Vedic) sacrifice/oblation-rite

ब्राह्मणैःby Brahmins

एवindeed/only

इन्दपारगैःby those who had gone to the far shore of the Veda (Veda-experts)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kārttika (month / full-moon)

Brāhmaṇas

Veda

iṣṭi (sacrificial rite)

valkala (bark-garment)

mṛgacarma (deer-skin)

agnihotra (sacred fire rite)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

royal palace (rājabhavana)

sons’ wives (pūtra-vadhūḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma through a conscious shift from royal life to disciplined renunciation: before departing, Dhṛtarāṣṭra ensures Vedic rites are duly performed and keeps agnihotra central, showing that withdrawal from power should be guided by ritual responsibility, self-restraint, and ethical reorientation rather than mere escape.

What is happening in the narrative?

On the Kārttika full-moon, Dhṛtarāṣṭra arranges an iṣṭi sacrifice through Veda-knowing Brāhmaṇas, adopts ascetic attire (bark and deer-skin), prioritizes the agnihotra, and then leaves the palace accompanied by his sons’ wives—marking the beginning of his forest-dwelling phase.