Shloka 14

अर्जुनस्य इन्द्रकीलगमनम् तथा शक्रसाक्षात्कारः

Arjuna’s journey to Indrakīla and encounter with Indra

Devanagari script

त्वरया परया युक्तस्तपसे धृतनिश्चय: । वन॑ कण्टकितं घोरमेक एवान्वपद्यत,तपस्याके लिये दृढ़ निश्चय करके बड़ी उतावलीके साथ जाते हुए वे अकेले ही एक भयंकर कण्टकाकीर्ण वनमें पहुँचे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | tvarayā parayā yuktaḥ tapase dhṛtaniścayaḥ | vanaṃ kaṇṭakitaṃ ghoraṃ eka evānvapadyata ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Fest entschlossen zur Askese und von großer Eile getrieben, zog er allein weiter und trat in einen schaurigen, von Dornen dicht erfüllten Wald ein—und wählte Mühsal und Einsamkeit als den angemessenen Pfad für die Zucht seines Gelübdes.

Word by Word

त्वरयाwith haste

परयाgreat, intense

युक्तःendowed/engaged (with)

तपसेfor austerity

धृतनिश्चयःhaving firm resolve

वनम्forest

कण्टकितम्thorny, full of thorns

घोरम्terrible, dreadful

एकःalone, single

एवindeed, just

अन्वपद्यतhe entered/reached

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

forest (vana)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Steadfast resolve (dhṛta-niścaya) in pursuing tapas is shown as a dharmic discipline: the seeker accepts hardship and even chooses solitude, indicating that inner purpose can outweigh fear and physical discomfort.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a determined figure, intent on performing austerities, moving quickly and alone into a terrifying, thorn-filled forest—signaling the beginning or intensification of an ascetic undertaking.