Shloka 3
Raibhya-putrayoḥ satra-vṛttāntaḥ — The Satra Episode of Raibhya’s Sons
Parāvasu and Arvāvasu
तत्र तौ समनुज्ञातौ पित्रा कौन्तेय जग्मतु:ः । आश्रमे त्वभवद् रैभ्यो भार्या चैव परावसो:,कुन्तीनन्दन! पिताकी आज्ञा पाकर वे दोनों भाई राजाके यज्ञमें चले गये। आश्रममें केवल रैभ्य मुनि तथा उनके पुत्र परावसुकी पत्नी रह गयी। एक दिन घरकी देख-भाल करनेके लिये परावसु अकेले ही आश्रमपर आये। उस समय उन्होंने काले मृगचर्मसे ढके हुए अपने पिताको वनमें देखा
tatra tau samanujñātau pitrā kaunteya jagmatuḥ | āśrame tv abhavad raibhyo bhāryā caiva parāvasoḥ |
There, O son of Kuntī, the two brothers, having received their father’s permission, departed for the king’s sacrifice. In the hermitage remained only the sage Raibhya and the wife of Parāvasu. (Thus the scene is set for a moral crisis: when elders are left unprotected and household duties are neglected, disorder and wrongdoing can arise even in an āśrama.)
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores dharma through orderly conduct: actions should proceed with proper authorization (the father’s permission), and an āśrama’s safety and moral stability depend on responsible presence and protection. When caretaking structures are weakened, conditions for ethical failure can emerge.
Two brothers, permitted by their father, leave for a royal sacrifice. Back at the hermitage, only the sage Raibhya and Parāvasu’s wife remain, establishing the circumstances that will lead into the ensuing episode involving Parāvasu and events in the forest/āśrama setting.