Shloka 2
कुन्तीनिवर्तनप्रयत्नः तथा वननिवासप्रारम्भः
Attempt to Dissuade Kuntī; Commencement of Forest Residence
तापसैश्न महाभागैर्नानादेशसमागतै: । द्रष्ट कुरुपते: पुत्रान् पाण्डवान् पृथुवक्षस:
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
tāpasaiś ca mahābhāgair nānādeśasamāgataiḥ |
draṣṭuṁ kurupateḥ putrān pāṇḍavān pṛthuvakṣasaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Many blessed ascetics—arrived from various regions—were already present there, wishing to behold the Pāṇḍavas, the broad-chested sons of Pāṇḍu, who were also the sons of the lord of the Kurus. The scene underscores how, after the devastations of war, the surviving heirs are regarded as objects of moral and spiritual concern, worthy of witness by the renunciant community.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral authority of the ascetic community and the idea that righteous rulers and heirs are accountable before spiritual witnesses; post-war legitimacy and dharma are affirmed not only by power but by the regard of the renunciants.
As Dhṛtarāṣṭra resides in the forest āśrama with Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers, many eminent ascetics from different regions gather there in advance, eager to see the Pāṇḍavas.