Shloka 24
आरण्यकपर्वणि अध्यायः २१६ — इन्द्र-स्कन्द-संमुखता वज्रप्रहारश्च
Indra approaches Skanda; vajra strike and the arising of Viśākha
एतस्मिन्नेव काले तु मृगयां निर्गतो नृप:,ब्रह्म! इसी समय राजा अपने मन्त्रियों तथा प्रधान योद्धाओंके साथ शिकार खेलनेके लिये निकले। उन्होंने एक ऋषिके आश्रमके निकट बहुत-से हिंसक पशुओंका वध किया
etasminn eva kāle tu mṛgayāṃ nirgato nṛpaḥ
وفي ذلك الوقت بعينه خرج الملك إلى الصيد. وبقرب صومعةِ ناسكٍ حكيمٍ قتل كثيرًا من الوحوش الضارية—حادثةٌ تُقابل لهوَ الملوك بتوترٍ أخلاقي، إذ تُرتكبُ العُنفُ في جوار ملجأ الزاهدين.
व्याध उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse sets up a moral contrast: royal hunting may be socially permitted for a kṣatriya, yet violence performed near an āśrama highlights the need for restraint and sensitivity to sacred/ascetic spaces—dharma is not only the act, but also its place, motive, and measure.
The speaker (Vyādha) describes a moment when the king goes out hunting and, close to a sage’s hermitage, kills many dangerous animals—an event that typically becomes the narrative trigger for later encounters, admonition, or consequences connected with dharma.