Shloka 24
Arjuna’s Himalayan Departure and the Commencement of Severe Tapas
Janamejaya’s Inquiry; Sages Approach Śiva
त्वया तु दुष्कर: कस्मादिह वास: प्ररोचित: । वयं तु बहुसत्त्वेडस्मिन् निवसामस्तपोधन,'किंतु तुमने यहाँका दुष्कर निवास कैसे पसंद किया? तपोधन! हम तो अनेक प्रकारके जीव-जन्तुओंसे भरे हुए इस वनमें सदा ही रहते हैं
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
tvayā tu duṣkaraḥ kasmād iha vāsaḥ prarocitaḥ |
vayaṃ tu bahusattve 'smin nivasāmas tapodhana ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “But why did you choose this difficult dwelling here? O rich in austerity, we, for our part, live continually in this forest that is crowded with many kinds of living creatures.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the contrast between ordinary comfort and the ascetic’s deliberate acceptance of hardship: choosing a difficult residence can be an ethical-spiritual discipline, while those accustomed to the wilderness endure it as their normal way of life.
Vaiśampāyana, narrating the events, voices a question to an addressed ascetic (‘tapodhana’): why he has opted to live in a harsh forest environment, whereas others (the speakers’ group) already reside there amid many creatures.