Shloka 34

Kāmyake Pāṇḍavānāṃ Bhojana-vyavasthā

Provisioning and Welfare in the Kāmyaka Forest

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच तथेति सम्प्रतिज्ञाय लोमश: सुमहातपा: । काम्यकं वनमुद्दिश्य समुपायान्महीतलम्‌,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--जनमेजय! “बहुत अच्छा” कहकर महातपस्वी लोमशजीने उनका अनुरोध मान लिया और काम्यकवनमें जानेके लिये भूलोककी ओर प्रस्थान किया

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | tatheti sampratijñāya lomaśaḥ sumahātapāḥ | kāmyakaṃ vanam uddiśya samupāyān mahītalam ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Habiendo asentido con las palabras «Así sea», el gran asceta Lomaśa, fiel a su promesa, aceptó su ruego y se puso en camino por la tierra, dirigiendo su marcha hacia el bosque de Kāmyaka.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

तथाso; thus

इतिthus (quotative)

सम्प्रतिज्ञायhaving promised; having assented

लोमशःLomaśa

सुमहातपाःof very great austerity

काम्यकम्Kāmyaka (name)

वनम्forest

उद्दिश्यhaving set out toward; aiming at

समुपायात्went forth; departed

महीतलम्the earth's surface; ground

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Lomaśa

Janamejaya

Kāmyaka forest

Mahītala (earth)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores dharma through fidelity to one’s word: once a promise is made, especially by a sage, it is honored through action without delay.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that the ascetic Lomaśa agrees (“tathā”) and, having pledged, departs toward the Kāmyaka forest, initiating a journey episode within the Vana Parva frame-story told to King Janamejaya.