Shloka 35
अध्याय १: महाप्रस्थानारम्भः
The Commencement of the Great Departure
अनमनिं ते ददृशुस्तत्र स्थितं शैलमिवाग्रत: । मार्गमावृत्य तिष्ठन्तं साक्षात्पुरुषविग्रहम्
anamanīṁ te dadṛśus tatra sthitaṁ śailam ivāgrataḥ | mārgam āvṛtya tiṣṭhantaṁ sākṣāt puruṣa-vigraham ||
They then saw before them, standing there like a mountain, an awe-inspiring figure—manifest in human form—blocking the path and remaining firmly in place.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When a higher principle becomes directly manifest, human resolve must yield to dharma and cosmic order; the image of an immovable, mountain-like presence suggests that some boundaries are not to be crossed by mere will.
As the travelers proceed, they behold a formidable, human-formed presence standing ahead like a mountain, obstructing the route and holding its ground, signaling a decisive check or turning point in their onward passage.