Shloka 31
Kāmyake Pāṇḍavānāṃ Bhojana-vyavasthā
Provisioning and Welfare in the Kāmyaka Forest
गिरिदुर्गेषु च सदा देशेषु विषमेषु च । वसन्ति राक्षसा रौद्रास्तेभ्यो रक्षां विधास्यति,'पर्वतोंके दुर्गम स्थानोंमें तथा ऊँची-नीची भूमियोंमें भयंकर राक्षस निवास करते हैं; उनसे आप भाइयोंसहित युधिष्ठिरकी रक्षा कीजियेगा'
giridurgeṣu ca sadā deśeṣu viṣameṣu ca | vasanti rākṣasā raudrās tebhyo rakṣāṃ vidhāsyati ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “In mountain-fastnesses and in rugged, uneven tracts, fierce and violent rākṣasas dwell continually. From them, you must provide protection—guarding Yudhiṣṭhira together with his brothers.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores kṣatriya-dharma and fraternal duty: in dangerous, lawless spaces like forests and mountain passes, protection of the righteous leader and one’s kin becomes a primary ethical obligation.
The narrator points out that fierce rākṣasas inhabit difficult terrains such as mountain fortresses and rugged regions, and issues an instruction that Yudhiṣṭhira—along with his brothers—must be safeguarded from these threats during their forest context.