Shloka 3
सीता-रावण-संवादः
Sītā–Rāvaṇa Dialogue in the Aśoka Grove
पाण्डवा मृगयाशीलाश्षरन्तस्तन्महद् वनम् | विजहुरिन्द्रप्रतिमाः कज्चित् कालमरिंदम,शत्रुदन जनमेजय! पाण्डवलोग बाघ-चीते आदि हिंसक पशुओंका शिकार किया करते थे। देवराज इन्द्रके समान वे उस महान् वनमें विचरते हुए कुछ कालतक विहार करते रहे
pāṇḍavā mṛgayāśīlāḥ śarantaḥ tan mahad vanam | vijahur indrapratimāḥ kañcit kālam arindama, śatrudana janamejaya ||
Vaiśampāyana said: O Janamejaya—crusher of foes, punisher of enemies—the Pāṇḍavas, devoted to the hunt, ranged through that vast forest. Resembling Indra in prowess, they spent some time there in roaming and recreation, sustaining themselves by the chase amid the wilderness.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the Pāṇḍavas’ forest sojourn as a kṣatriya-mode of endurance: in exile they maintain vigor and self-reliance, living by roaming and the chase. Ethically, it reflects a pragmatic wilderness context rather than ritualized violence—strength and restraint are implied by the epithets and Indra-comparison.
Vaiśampāyana tells King Janamejaya that the Pāṇḍavas, accustomed to hunting, wandered through a vast forest and spent some time there, moving about and enjoying a period of life in the wilderness, described as Indra-like in their presence and prowess.