Shloka 19
Adhyāya 112: Ṛṣyaśṛṅga’s Description of an Exemplary Brahmacārī
Ascetic Presence and Vow-Practice
चर्तु तथेच्छा हृदये ममास्ति दुनोति चित्त यदि त॑ न पश्ये,वैसा ही तप करनेकी इच्छा मेरे हृदयमें भी है। यदि उसे नहीं देखूँगा तो मेरा यह चित्त संतप्त होता रहेगा
cartu tathecchā hṛdaye mamāsti dunoti cittaṃ yadi taṃ na paśye
Ṛṣyaśṛṅga said: “That very longing is present in my heart as well. If I do not behold him, my mind is pained and continues to burn with distress.”
ऋष्यशुड्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how a sincere aspiration—especially toward ascetic practice or a revered goal—can become an inner compulsion: when the object of that aspiration is not attained or even seen, the mind experiences real suffering. It points to the ethical need to recognize and govern desire, even when the desire is for something spiritually valued.
Ṛṣyaśṛṅga responds by aligning himself with another’s yearning: he says the same desire exists in his own heart, and that his mind is tormented if he cannot see the person (or object) he seeks. The line functions as a confession of inner agitation within the ongoing dialogue of Vana Parva.