Shloka 79
धृतराष्ट्रस्य पाण्डवेषु प्रीति-वृत्तान्तः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Affectionate Disposition toward the Pāṇḍavas
अथाब्रवीत् पुनर्वाक्यं धृतराष्ट्रो युधिष्ठिरम् । अनुजानीहि मां राजंस्तापस्ये भरतर्षभ,तदनन्तर धृतराष्ट्रने पुन: युधिष्ठिससे कहा--'राजन्! भरतश्रेष्ठ! मुझे तपस्याके लिये अनुमति दे दो
athābravīt punar vākyam dhṛtarāṣṭro yudhiṣṭhiram | anujānīhi māṃ rājan tāpasye bharatarṣabha ||
Rồi Dhṛtarāṣṭra lại cất lời với Yudhiṣṭhira: “Hỡi Đại vương, hỡi bậc tráng kiện nhất trong dòng Bharata, xin hãy cho phép ta rời đi để sống đời khổ hạnh (tapasya).”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic transition: an elder burdened by past outcomes seeks purification and detachment through tapas, yet does so with humility by requesting the reigning king’s consent—showing that renunciation, too, should be undertaken in an orderly, responsible, and ethically sanctioned way.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks again to Yudhiṣṭhira, asking permission to leave the court and undertake an ascetic life. This is part of the Āśramavāsika movement where the old generation withdraws from palace life toward forest-dwelling and austerities.