Shloka 2
धृतराष्ट्रस्य क्षमायाचनं तथा युधिष्ठिरे न्यासदानम् / Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Request for Forgiveness and the Entrustment to Yudhiṣṭhira
कार्तिक्यां कारयित्वेष्टिं ब्राह्मुणैवेंदपारगै:
vaiśampāyana uvāca | kārtikyāṃ kārayitveṣṭiṃ brāhmaṇair vedapāragaiḥ |
Vaiśampāyana disse: “No dia de lua cheia de Kārttika, tendo mandado que brāhmanes eruditos, versados nos Vedas, realizassem o rito iṣṭi apropriado ao tempo da partida, o rei Dhṛtarāṣṭra vestiu-se de casca de árvore e pele de veado. Pondo o Agnihotra à frente como dever sagrado, e cercado pelas esposas de seus filhos, deixou o palácio real.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.