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 |
Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: “Sa kabilugan ng buwan ng Kārttika, matapos ipagawa sa mga Brāhmaṇa na ganap na bihasa sa Veda ang angkop na ritong iṣṭi para sa paglalakbay, isinuot ni Haring Dhṛtarāṣṭra ang kasuotang balat ng punò at balat ng usa. Inuna niya ang Agnihotra bilang banal na tungkulin, at napalilibutan ng mga manugang na babae, lumisan siya mula sa palasyo.”
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.