Shloka 55
Kubera’s Fivefold Nīti and Protection of the Pāṇḍavas (वैश्रवणोपदेशः)
कुमुदै: पुण्डरीकैश्न तथा कोकनदोत्पलै: । कह्लारै:ः कमलैश्वैव आचितानि समन्तत:ः,इन वृक्षोंपर निवास करनेवाले चकोर, मोर, भूृंगराज, तोते, कोयल, कलविंक (गौरैया- चिड़िया), हारीत (हारिल), चकवा, प्रियक, चातक तथा दूसरे नाना प्रकारके पक्षी, श्रवणसुखद मधुर शब्द बोल रहे थे। वहाँ चारों ओर जलचर जन्तुओंसे भरे हुए मनोहर सरोवर दृष्टिगोचर होते थे। जिनमें कुमुद, पुण्डरीक, कोकनद, उत्पल, कह्लार और कमल सब ओर व्याप्त थे। कादम्ब, चक्रवाक, कुरर, जलकुक्कुट, कारण्डव, प्लव, हंस, बक, मदगु तथा अन्य कितने ही जलचर पक्षी कमलोंके मकरन्दका पान करके मदसे मतवाले और हर्षसे मुग्ध हुए उन सरोवरोंमें सब ओर फैले थे
kumudaiḥ puṇḍarīkaiś ca tathā kokanadotpalaiḥ | kahlāraiḥ kamalaiś caiva ācitāni samantataḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “The lovely lakes came into view on every side, thickly carpeted all around with water-lilies and lotuses—kumuda, puṇḍarīka, kokanada, utpala, kahlāra, and kamala. The scene is painted as a sanctuary of natural harmony, where life thrives without violence, suggesting a moment of respite and inward steadiness amid the larger hardships of exile.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a tranquil, lotus-filled landscape to evoke purity, balance, and non-violence—an ethical counterpoint to the turmoil of exile. Such passages in the Vana Parva often remind the listener that dharma includes cultivating inner calm and reverence for life even amid adversity.
Vaiśampāyana describes the Pandavas’ forest surroundings: beautiful lakes visible in all directions, densely covered with many kinds of lotuses and water-lilies. It is a scenic interlude that frames the forest as both a place of hardship and a place of spiritual and natural richness.