Shloka 16
कुरुसभायां केशवागमन-सत्कारविधानम् / Preparations to Honor Keśava at the Kuru Court
पश्यन् बहुपशून् ग्रामान् रम्यान् हृदयतोषणान् | पुराणि च व्यतिक्रामन् राष्ट्रीणि विविधानि च
paśyan bahupaśūn grāmān ramyān hṛdayatoṣaṇān | purāṇi ca vyatikrāman rāṣṭrīṇi vividhāni ca ||
As they journeyed on, they beheld many villages rich in cattle and livestock—pleasant to see and gladdening to the heart. Passing beyond those settlements, they continued forward, crossing numerous ancient towns and a variety of kingdoms along the way.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ideal markers of a well-ordered realm—villages thriving with livestock and settlements that bring contentment—implying that prosperity and social stability are visible signs of good governance and dharmic order, even as the narrative moves toward political crisis.
Vaiśampāyana describes the travelers’ onward movement: they observe many prosperous, pleasing villages and then continue their route, passing beyond old towns and crossing multiple kingdoms as they proceed toward their destination.