अथ तौ बालकौ दीनावृषिभिः परिपालितौ । वृद्धिं गतौ महारण्ये बालावेव स्थितौ व्रते
atha tau bālakau dīnāvṛṣibhiḥ paripālitau | vṛddhiṃ gatau mahāraṇye bālāveva sthitau vrate
Alors ces deux enfants, dans la détresse, furent protégés par les sages ṛṣis. Ils grandirent dans une vaste forêt, demeurant fermes dans leurs observances (vrata), comme s’ils étaient encore de simples enfants.
Īśvara (Śiva)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (destination implied)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Two orphaned children in a forest hermitage: sages with matted hair offering food and instruction; the children performing simple vows—collecting firewood, offering water, reciting mantras—amid a tranquil āśrama with deer and birds.
Association with sages and commitment to vrata form a dharmic foundation that prepares one for tīrtha-worship and higher merit.
Not named in this verse; it serves as narrative lead-up to their later arrival at Prabhāsa-kṣetra.
Vrata (religious observance/vow) is mentioned as a sustained discipline, without a specific named vow.