Shloka 23
Vyāsa’s Inquiry into Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Tapas and the Identification of Vidura with Dharma
“भरतश्रेष्ठ! प्रभो! तुमने राजनीति बहुत बार सुनी है; अतः तुम्हें संदेश देने लायक कोई बात मुझे नहीं दिखायी देती। तुमने मेरे लिये बहुत कुछ किया है ।। वैशम्पायन उवाच इत्युक्तवचनं तं तु नूपो राजानमब्रवीत् । न मामहसि धर्मज्ञ परित्यक्तुमनागसम्,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! जब राजा धूृतराष्ट्रने वैसी बात कही, तब युधिष्ठिरने उनसे इस प्रकार कहा--'धर्मके ज्ञाता महाराज! आप मेरा परित्याग न करें, क्योंकि मैं सर्वथा निरपराध हूँ
vaiśampāyana uvāca | ity uktavacanaṃ taṃ tu nṛpo rājānam abravīt | na mām arhasi dharmajña parityaktuṃ anāgasam ||
“O pinakadakila sa mga Bharata, O panginoon! Maraming ulit mo nang narinig ang tungkol sa pamamahala at politika; kaya wala na akong nakikitang dapat pang ipahatid na tagubilin. Napakarami mo nang nagawa para sa akin.” Wika ni Vaiśaṃpāyana: Nang masabi iyon ng haring Dhṛtarāṣṭra, nagsalita si Haring Yudhiṣṭhira sa kanya nang ganito: “O nakaaalam ng dharma, huwag mo akong iwan, sapagkat ako’y lubos na walang sala.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical appeal rooted in dharma: one should not abandon a blameless person, especially when bonds of duty and care remain. Yudhiṣṭhira frames the relationship in moral terms—responsibility should be guided by righteousness rather than withdrawal or resentment.
After Dhṛtarāṣṭra has spoken (in context, about leaving/withdrawing), Yudhiṣṭhira responds directly, addressing him as a knower of dharma and pleading that he not forsake him, asserting his own innocence (anāgasa). Vaiśampāyana narrates this exchange to Janamejaya.