Shloka 18
Gālava Completes the Horse-Gift: Garuḍa’s Counsel and Viśvāmitra’s Acceptance (गालव-विष्वामित्र-सम्बन्धः)
कन्दरेषु च शैलानां नदीनां निर्डरिषु च । उद्यानेषु विचित्रेषु वनेषूपवनेषु च
kandareṣu ca śailānāṃ nadīnāṃ nirḍariṣu ca | udyāneṣu vicitreṣu vaneṣūpavaneṣu ca
“In the mountain caves, on the river-banks and in the ravines; in delightful, varied gardens—likewise in forests and groves.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights secluded natural settings—caves, ravines, gardens, forests—implying that human conduct and self-control are not only matters of public life; they are also tested and revealed in private, liminal spaces away from social oversight.
Nārada enumerates various landscapes and retreats, painting a geographic and emotional backdrop of wandering or dwelling in nature. This functions as descriptive amplification within his speech, situating events or experiences across many hidden and beautiful locales.