Shloka 47
Śiva-nāmānukīrtana-prastāvaḥ
Prologue to the praise of Śiva and the Upamanyu testimony
बदरीकुन्दपुन्नागैरशोकाम्रातिमुक्तकै: । मधूकै: कोविदारैश्न चम्पकैः पनसैस्तथा
badarīkunda-punnāgair aśokāmrātimuktakaiḥ | madhūkaiḥ kovidāraiś ca campakaiḥ panasaistathā ||
Vāsudeva said: That hermitage was adorned with many kinds of wild trees that bore flowers and fruits—jujube, jasmine, punnāga, aśoka, mango, atimuktaka creepers, madhūka, kovidāra, campaka, and jackfruit. It was spread over with blossoms, shrubs, and climbing vines, and groves of banana plants added still further to its beauty. The scene underscores the Mahābhārata’s ethical imagination of the āśrama as a space of peace, restraint, and dharma—where nature’s abundance mirrors inner order and spiritual cultivation.
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the abundance and harmony of an āśrama’s natural setting to evoke dharma: a life ordered by restraint, purity, and spiritual practice. The flourishing trees and creepers function as ethical-symbolic scenery—peaceful surroundings that support right conduct and inner discipline.
Vāsudeva is describing the beauty of a hermitage, listing many flowering and fruit-bearing trees and noting that the area is filled with blossoms, shrubs, and vines, with banana groves enhancing its splendor. It is a descriptive passage establishing a serene setting.