Shloka 17
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Public Request for Consent to Enter the Forest (अनुज्ञा-प्रार्थना)
जब अनेक प्रकारके दान देते-देते राजा धृतराष्ट्र बहुत थक गये, तब उन्होंने उस दान- यज्ञको बंद किया ।।
evaṁ sa rājā kauravyaś cakre dāna-mahākratum | naṭa-nartaka-lāsyādyaṁ baddhānnarasa-dakṣiṇam, kuru-nandana |
毗舍摩耶那说：当持国王（Dhṛtarāṣṭra）不断施出种种财物，终于疲惫不堪时，便将那布施之祭止息收场。库鲁之喜啊，如此，库鲁族的持国王举行了名为“施与”的大祭（mahākratu）。其间粮食丰盈，甘美饮品与诸般佳肴充足，又有无量 dakṣiṇā（祭司酬礼）施予；并且在庆典之中，还安排了伶人、舞者的歌舞与表演。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames charity (dāna) as a yajña-like act: a disciplined, public offering that sustains society. It suggests that righteous giving—food, provisions, and proper dakṣiṇā—can function as a moral rite, emphasizing responsibility and merit through generosity.
Vaiśampāyana describes Dhṛtarāṣṭra conducting a grand donation-festival, richly supplied with food, drinks, and abundant gifts, along with organized performances by actors and dancers. In the surrounding context, after prolonged giving that leaves him fatigued, the king concludes the charitable rite.