Shloka 3
आश्रमं ते ततो जम्मुर्धुतराष्ट्रस्य पाण्डवा: । शून्यं मृगगणाकीर्ण कदलीवनशोभितम्,धृतराष्ट्रका वह पवित्र आश्रम मनुष्योंसे सूना था। उसमें सब ओर मृगोंके झुंड विचर रहे थे और केलेका सुन्दर उद्यान उस आश्रमकी शोभा बढ़ाता था। पाण्डव लोग ज्यों ही उस आश्रममें पहुँचे त्यों ही वहाँ नियमपूर्वक व्रतोंका पालन करनेवाले बहुत-से तपस्वी कौतूहलवश वहाँ पधारे हुए पाण्डवोंको देखनेके लिये आ गये
āśramaṃ te tato jagmur dhṛtarāṣṭrasya pāṇḍavāḥ | śūnyaṃ mṛgagaṇākīrṇaṃ kadalīvanaśobhitam ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Then the Pāṇḍavas went to Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s hermitage. It was deserted of human presence, filled all around with herds of deer, and beautified by a grove of plantain trees. As soon as the Pāṇḍavas arrived there, many ascetics—strict observers of vows and disciplines—came out of curiosity to see them. The scene underscores a moral contrast: after the violence and politics of the court, the forest āśrama embodies restraint, purity, and the quiet authority of dharma lived through tapas.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical shift from royal life to āśrama-dharma: a space marked by non-violence, restraint, and purity. The deserted hermitage and the presence of deer symbolize peace and the natural order, suggesting that true authority after conflict lies in self-discipline (tapas) and adherence to vows rather than power.
Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that the Pāṇḍavas travel to Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s forest hermitage. The place is quiet and humanless, alive with deer and beautified by a plantain grove. On their arrival, many vow-observing ascetics gather to see the famed Pāṇḍavas, indicating the hermitage’s spiritual community and the significance of their visit.