Shloka 27
Kāmyake Arjuna-viyogaḥ — The Pandavas’ despondency in Kāmyaka during Arjuna’s absence
दहामानेन तु हृदा शरणार्थी महावने । ब्राह्मणान् विविधज्ञानान् पर्यपृच्छद् युधिष्ठिर:,अर्जुनके वियोगमें संतप्त हृदयवाले वे युधिष्ठिर निर्भय आश्रयकी इच्छा रखते हुए उस महान् वनमें रहते थे और अनेक प्रकारके ज्ञानसे सम्पन्न ब्राह्मणोंस अपना मनोगत अभिप्राय पूछा करते थे
dahāmanena tu hṛdā śaraṇārthī mahāvane | brāhmaṇān vividhajñānān paryapṛcchad yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana dijo: “Con el corazón ardiendo de angustia, Yudhiṣṭhira—en busca de amparo y sosiego—habitó en aquel vasto bosque. Allí interrogaba una y otra vez a brāhmaṇas eruditos, hombres de saberes diversos, dando voz a las preocupaciones que pesaban en su mente. La escena presenta a un rey en el destierro que se aparta del poder para acudir al consejo, buscando claridad dhármica en medio de la pérdida y la incertidumbre.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
When overwhelmed by sorrow and uncertainty, one should seek refuge in dharmic reflection—approaching the learned with humility and sustained inquiry rather than acting from impulse. The verse elevates consultation, study, and ethical deliberation as a ruler’s proper response to crisis.
During the Pāṇḍavas’ forest life, Yudhiṣṭhira is distressed (contextually, by separation from Arjuna and the pressures of exile). Living in the great forest, he repeatedly consults knowledgeable brāhmaṇas, asking them questions that express his inner concerns and searching for guidance.