Shloka 3
अन्तर्वन-विद्यारण्योपमा
The Allegory of the Inner Forest of Knowledge
ब्राह्मण्युवाच क्व तद् वन महाप्राज्ञ के वृक्षा: सरितश्न॒ का: । गिरय: पर्वताश्चैव कियत्यध्वनि तद् वनम्
brāhmaṇy uvāca: kva tad vana mahāprajña ke vṛkṣāḥ saritaś ca kāḥ | girayaḥ parvatāś caiva kiyaty adhvani tad vanam ||
Die Brahmanin fragte: „O du Hochweise, wo ist jener Wald? Welche Bäume stehen dort, und welche Flüsse fließen dort? Welche Berge und Gipfel finden sich dort ebenfalls? Und wie weit ist jener Wald auf dem Weg entfernt?“
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models disciplined inquiry: before undertaking an action or journey, one should seek clear knowledge of place, conditions, and distance—an aspect of prudent conduct aligned with dharma.
In dialogue, the Brahmin woman questions a wise interlocutor about the location of a particular forest, asking for its identifying features—trees, rivers, mountains—and how far it is to travel.