Shloka 11
वंशानुकीर्तनम् — Genealogical Recitation from Dakṣa to Yayāti and the Establishment of the Paurava Line
महान् धनुर्थर राजा दुष्यन्तने इस प्रकार मनको मोह लेनेवाले उस उत्तम वनमें प्रवेश किया। उस समय फूलोंसे भरी हुई डालियोंवाले वृक्ष वायुके झकोरोंसे हिल-हिलकर उनके ऊपर बार-बार अदभुत पुष्प-वर्षा करने लगे। वे वृक्ष इतने ऊँचे थे, मानो आकाशको छू लेंगे। उनपर बैठे हुए मीठी बोली बोलनेवाले पक्षियोंके मधुर शब्द वहाँ गूँज रहे थे || ९-- १० || विरेजु: पादपास्तत्र विचित्रकुसुमाम्बरा: । तेषां तत्र प्रवालेषु पुष्पभारावनामिषु,उस वनमें पुष्परूपी विचित्र वस्त्र धारण करनेवाले वृक्ष अद्भुत शोभा पा रहे थे। फूलोंके भारसे झुके हुए उनके कोमल पल््लवोंपर बैठे हुए मधुलोभी भ्रमर मधुर गुंजार कर रहे थे। राजा दुष्यन्तने वहाँ बहुत-से ऐसे रमणीय प्रदेश देखे जो फूलोंके ढेरसे सुशोभित तथा लतामण्डपोंसे अलंकृत थे। मनकी प्रसन्नताको बढ़ानेवाले उन मनोहर प्रदेशोंका अवलोकन करके उस समय महातेजस्वी राजाको बड़ा हर्ष हुआ
vaiśampāyana uvāca | mahān dhanurdharaḥ rājā duṣyantaḥ tathāvidhaṃ manomohanam uttamaṃ vanaṃ praviśat | tadā puṣpabharitābhir śākhābhir vṛkṣā vāyujhaṅkārair calitāḥ tasya upari punaḥ punaḥ adbhutaṃ puṣpavarṣaṃ pracakruḥ | te vṛkṣāḥ atyuccāḥ āsan, yathā nabhaḥ spṛśeyuḥ | teṣu niṣaṇṇānāṃ madhurabhāṣiṇāṃ pakṣiṇāṃ madhurāḥ śabdāḥ tatra pratidhvanantaḥ | virejuḥ pādapās tatra vicitrakusumāmbarāḥ | teṣāṃ tatra pravāleṣu puṣpabhārāvanāmiṣu madhulubdhā bhramarā madhuraṃ guñjāṃ cakruḥ | rājā duṣyantaḥ tatra bahūn ramyān pradeśān apaśyat puṣparāśibhiḥ śobhitān latāmaṇḍapaiś ca alaṅkṛtān | tān manoharān pradeśān avalokya tadā mahātejā rājā paramaharṣaṃ lebhe |
Vaiśampāyana said: The great king Duṣyanta, famed for bearing the bow, entered that excellent forest which bewitched the mind. Then the trees, their branches heavy with blossoms, swayed under gusts of wind and again and again showered him with wondrous rain of flowers. They stood so tall it seemed they would touch the sky. The sweet calls of birds perched upon them echoed through the grove. There the trees shone, as though clothed in garments of variegated flowers. On their tender shoots, bent down by the weight of blossoms, honey-seeking bees hummed melodiously. King Duṣyanta beheld many delightful spots adorned with heaps of flowers and embellished with bowers of creepers; and seeing those charming places that increased the heart’s gladness, the radiant king was filled with joy.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how a ruler’s mind can be refined by contact with beauty and harmony in nature. Such descriptions in the Mahābhārata often prepare the ethical atmosphere: a king, though powerful, is shown as capable of receptivity, restraint, and joy—qualities that support dharmic conduct before decisive encounters.
Vaiśampāyana describes King Duṣyanta entering an enchanting forest. Trees sway in the wind and seem to shower flowers; birds sing and bees hum on blossom-laden shoots. The king observes flower-strewn, creeper-decorated spots and feels great delight—setting the scene for the events connected with the hermitage-forest world.