Shloka 22
धृतराष्ट्रस्य वनप्रस्थानानुज्ञा | Permission for Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Forest-Retirement
मम चान्धस्य वृद्धस्य हतपुत्रस्य का गति: । ऋते वन॑ महाभागास्तन्मानुज्ञातुमरहथ
mama cāndhasya vṛddhasya hataputrasya kā gatiḥ | ṛte vanaṃ mahābhāgās tan mānu jñātum arhatha ||
“Quanto a mim —cego, velho e privado de meus filhos—, que caminho, que refúgio me resta? Ó nobres, fora ir para a floresta nada mais ficou; portanto, concedei-me permissão para isso.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When worldly supports collapse—through age, loss, and the aftermath of wrongdoing—dharma may require withdrawal from power and possessions. The verse frames the forest life as a morally appropriate refuge, sought with humility and proper consent rather than impulsive escape.
The blind, elderly king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) laments that his sons are dead and asks the assembled noble persons to allow him to depart for the forest. It marks his resolve to leave the courtly life behind and enter a stage of austere retirement.