Shloka 20
Bhāgīrathī-tīra-śauca, Kurukṣetra-gamana, and Śatayūpa-āśrama-dīkṣā (गङ्गातीरशौच–कुरुक्षेत्रगमन–शतयूपाश्रमदीक्षा)
तमन्वधावन्नपतिरेक एव युधिष्ठिर: । प्रविशन्तं वन॑ घोरं लक्ष्यालक्ष्यं क्वचित् क्वचित्
tam anvadhāvann apatir eka eva yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | praviśantaṃ vanaṃ ghoraṃ lakṣyālakṣyaṃ kvacit kvacit ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Only Yudhiṣṭhira, without any attendant, ran after him, as he entered a dreadful forest—now visible, now disappearing from sight at different moments. The scene underscores Yudhiṣṭhira’s solitary sense of responsibility and steadfast concern, even when the path ahead is uncertain and fearsome.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when circumstances become frightening and unclear—‘now seen, now unseen’—one who is committed to dharma does not abandon responsibility. Yudhiṣṭhira’s solitary pursuit highlights steadfast care and moral resolve rather than comfort or safety.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira alone, without attendants, runs after a person who is entering a terrifying forest. The pursued figure is intermittently visible, suggesting distance, obscurity, and the difficulty of following into an unknown, austere space.