Shloka 23
धृतराष्ट्रस्य वनप्रस्थानानुज्ञा | Permission for Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Forest-Retirement
“एक तो मैं जन्मका अन्धा हूँ, दूसरे बूढ़ा हो गया हूँ, तीसरे मेरे सभी पुत्र मारे गये हैं। महाभाग प्रजाजन! अब आप ही बतायें, वनमें जानेके सिवा मेरे लिये दूसरी कौन-सी गति है? इसलिये अब आपलोग मुझे जानेकी आज्ञा दें” ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca | ekaḥ tu ahaṃ janmakā andhaḥ asmi, dvitīyaḥ vṛddhaḥ bhūtaḥ asmi, tṛtīyaḥ mama sarve putrāḥ hatāḥ santi | mahābhāga prajājanāḥ! idānīm eva brūta—vanam gantuṃ vinā mama anyā kā gatir asti? tasmāt idānīm yūyaṃ mām gantum ājñāpayata || tasya tad vacanaṃ śrutvā sarve te kurujāṅgalāḥ | bāṣpa-saṃdigdha-yā vācā ruruduḥ, bharatarṣabha, bharataśreṣṭha! rājñaḥ dhṛtarāṣṭrasya etāḥ vācaḥ śrutvā tatra upasthitānāṃ kurujāṅgala-nivāsināṃ sarveṣāṃ manuṣyāṇāṃ netrebhyaḥ aśru-dhārāḥ pravavruḥ, te ca phūṭ-phūṭ-kṛtvā ruroduḥ |
毗舍婆耶那说道：“其一，我生来失明；其二，我已年老；其三，我的诸子尽皆被杀。诸位高贵的民众啊，你们自己告诉我——除了入林而去，我还能有什么归途？因此，请准我离去。” 听到这番话，俱卢旃伽罗的众人，声音被泪水哽住，便放声痛哭。噢，婆罗多族中的雄牛，婆罗多族中最卓越者——听闻国王持国（Dhṛtarāṣṭra）的言辞，在场所有居于俱卢旃伽罗的男子，双眼泪流如注，抽噎不止。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage frames renunciation as a dharmic response to irreversible loss and the burdens of age: when worldly roles (power, lineage, purpose) collapse, one may seek a different ‘gati’—a disciplined withdrawal toward the forest life. It also highlights the ethical bond between ruler and subjects, shown through shared grief and compassion.
King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, citing his lifelong blindness, his old age, and the death of all his sons, asks his people to permit him to depart for the forest. The inhabitants of Kuru-jāṅgala who are present hear this and break down, their voices choked with tears, weeping loudly at his decision and suffering.