Shloka 11
वनप्रस्थानम् (Departure for the Forest) — Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 24
अत्रेमा द्वादश समा विहरेमेति रोचये । यदि तेडनुमतं राजन् किमन्यन्मन्यते भवान्,मेरी इच्छा है कि यहीं हमलोग इन बारह वर्षोतक निवास करें। राजन! यदि आपकी अनुमति हो तो द्वैतववनके समीप रहा जाय। अथवा आप दूसरे किस स्थानको उत्तम मानते हैं
atrēmā dvādaśa samā viharemēti rocaye | yadi te 'numataṁ rājan kim anyan manyate bhavān ||
Arjuna said: “My preference is that we should spend these twelve years of exile right here. O King, if this meets with your approval, let us stay near the Dvaitavana. Or if you judge some other place to be better, what do you think?”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined decision-making under dharma: even a capable warrior like Arjuna submits his preference to the king’s consent, showing respect for rightful authority and the need to choose a residence that best supports safety, austerity, and the obligations of exile.
During the Pandavas’ forest exile, Arjuna speaks to King Yudhiṣṭhira, proposing that they spend the twelve years in the present region, specifically near Dvaitavana, while also inviting Yudhiṣṭhira to decide if another place would be more suitable.