Shloka 40
नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः
Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city
किंशुकाशोकबकुलपुन्नागैरुपशोभितम् । कर्णिकारधवप्लक्षै: सुपुष्पैरपशोभितम्,पलाश, अशोक, बकुल, पुन्नाग, कनेर, धव तथा प्लक्ष आदि सुन्दर फूलोंवाले वृक्षोंसे वह पर्वत सुशोभित हो रहा है
bṛhadaśva uvāca |
kiṃśukāśokabakula-punnāgair upaśobhitam |
karṇikāra-dhava-plakṣaiḥ supuṣpair apaśobhitam ||
That mountain was adorned with kiṃśuka and aśoka trees, with bakula and punnāga as well; it was further beautified by karṇikāra, dhava, and plakṣa trees, all bearing splendid blossoms.
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s ethical-aesthetic sensibility: even amid exile and hardship, attentiveness to the natural world cultivates steadiness, gratitude, and restraint—qualities supportive of dharma.
Bṛhadaśva is describing a mountain landscape in the forest, emphasizing how it is richly ornamented by various flowering trees, setting the scene and mood for the surrounding episode in Vana Parva.