Shloka 4
तथा तमनुधावन्तं मृगयुं शकुनार्थिनम् । आश्रमस्थो मुनि: कश्रिद् ददर्शाथ कृताह्विक:,उन दिनों उस वनमें कोई मुनि रहते थे, जो उस समय संध्या-वन्दन आदि नित्यकर्म करके आश्रममें ही बैठे हुए थे। उन्होंने पक्षियोंको पकड़नेके लिये उनका पीछा करते हुए उस व्याधको देखा
tathā tam anudhāvantaṃ mṛgayuṃ śakunārthinam | āśramastho muniḥ kaścid dadarśātha kṛtāhvikaḥ ||
Just then a certain sage, dwelling in his forest hermitage, had completed his prescribed rites—such as the twilight prayers—and sat within the ashram. He saw the hunter rushing along in pursuit, eager to catch the birds.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse implicitly contrasts two orientations: the sage grounded in disciplined daily dharma (nitya-karma) and the hunter driven by pursuit. It prepares an ethical reflection on how actions and intentions shape character and consequences.
A hunter, chasing birds, runs through the forest. A sage seated in his hermitage after completing his daily rituals notices the hunter, setting up the next interaction in Vidura’s narrated episode.