Shloka 2.93.14
चित्रकूटमार्गवर्णनम् — Bharata’s Army Reaches Chitrakuta and Searches for Rama
निष्कूजमिव भूत्वेदं वनं घोरप्रदर्शनम्। अयोध्येव जनाकीर्णा सम्प्रति प्रतिभाति मा।।2.93.14।।
niṣkūjam iva bhūtv idaṃ vanaṃ ghorapradarśanam | ayodhyā iva janākīrṇā samprati pratibhāti mā ||2.93.14||
This forest, once dreadful to behold and as though devoid of birdsong, now appears to me like Ayodhyā itself—crowded with people.
This forest, dreadful in appearance was devoid of twittering of birds. But now it appears to me like Ayodhya thronged with people.
Dharma includes awareness of consequences: the forest’s silence and then sudden crowding underscores how human movement reshapes spaces, urging responsible conduct even when pursuing legitimate aims.
As Bharata’s large entourage fills the wilderness, the forest seems transformed—no longer quiet with birdsong, but bustling like the city of Ayodhyā.
Reflective awareness—recognizing how one’s own mission and resources alter the environment and mood of a place.