Shloka 41
ततः कुन्तीसुतो राजा प्रचिन्त्य पुरुषर्षभ: । समुत्थाय महाबाहुर्दहुमानेन चेतसा,तदनन्तर कुन्तीपुत्र पुरुषरत्न महाबाहु राजा युधिष्ठिर बहुत देरतक सोच-विचार करके उठे और जलते हुए हृदयसे उन्होंने उस विशाल वनमें प्रवेश किया, जहाँ मनुष्योंकी आवाजतक नहीं सुनायी देती थी। वहाँ रुरु मृग, वराह तथा पक्षियोंके समुदाय ही निवास करते थे
tataḥ kuntīsuto rājā pracintya puruṣarṣabhaḥ | samutthāya mahābāhur dahumānēna cetasā ||
Then the king, Kunti’s son—foremost among men—pondered deeply. Rising up, the mighty-armed Yudhishthira, his mind burning with anxious resolve, set out into that vast forest where not even the sound of human voices could be heard—inhabited only by ruru-deer, boars, and flocks of birds.
यक्ष उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical leadership: a righteous person reflects carefully before acting, yet must still rise and proceed despite inner distress. The ‘burning mind’ suggests the moral and emotional burden of responsibility, especially in crisis.
After deliberating for a long time, King Yudhiṣṭhira stands up and enters a remote, silent forest—an ominous setting populated only by wild animals and birds—signaling his determined movement toward the unfolding Yakṣa episode.