Shloka 14
अश्रमवासिनां विषादः — Lament in Hastināpura after the Elders’ Forest Withdrawal
तेषां तत्र कथा दिव्या धर्मिष्ठा श्ना भवन् नूप । ऋषीणां च पुराणानां देवासुरविमिश्रिता:
teṣāṃ tatra kathā divyā dharmiṣṭhāś ca bhavan nṛpa | ṛṣīṇāṃ ca purāṇānāṃ devāsura-vimiśritāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: There, among them, sacred conversations arose—deeply grounded in dharma, O king. Discussions also began about the ancient seers and the old traditions, interwoven with accounts of gods and asuras.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even after great upheavals, the mind is steadied through dharma-centered discourse—recollecting righteous traditions and exemplary narratives. The verse highlights that sacred conversation itself becomes a means of ethical orientation and inner consolidation.
In the setting of the Āśramavāsika episode, the gathered people begin exchanging elevated, dharma-focused stories. Their talk turns to ancient seers and old lore, including blended accounts involving devas and asuras—traditional narratives that frame moral reflection.