वनं जगाम गहनं हयनागशतैर्वृत: । बलेन चतुरज्जेण वृत: परमवल्गुना
vaiśampāyana uvāca | vanaṃ jagāma gahanaṃ hayanāgaśatair vṛtaḥ | balena caturajjeṇa vṛtaḥ paramavalgunā ||
বৈশম্পায়নে ক’লে—এবাৰ মহাবাহু ৰজা দুষ্যন্ত পৰম সুন্দৰ চতুৰঙ্গিণী সেনাৰ সৈতে, শত শত হাতী-ঘোঁৰাৰে পৰিবৃত হৈ, ঘন অৰণ্যৰ ফালে যাত্ৰা কৰিলে।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse foregrounds rājanīti (royal conduct): a king’s strength is shown as organized, restrained power—moving with a well-ordered fourfold army—setting an ethical frame that authority should be disciplined and purposeful, not chaotic.
The narrator describes a king proceeding into a dense forest, surrounded by many horses and elephants and escorted by a splendid fourfold army, establishing the scene for events that will unfold in the forest setting.