Shloka 20
Bhāgīrathī-tīra-śauca, Kurukṣetra-gamana, and Śatayūpa-āśrama-dīkṣā (गङ्गातीरशौच–कुरुक्षेत्रगमन–शतयूपाश्रमदीक्षा)
तमन्वधावन्नपतिरेक एव युधिष्ठिर: । प्रविशन्तं वन॑ घोरं लक्ष्यालक्ष्यं क्वचित् क्वचित्
tam anvadhāvann apatir eka eva yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | praviśantaṃ vanaṃ ghoraṃ lakṣyālakṣyaṃ kvacit kvacit ||
Maka hanya Yudhiṣṭhira, tanpa seorang pun pengiring, berlari mengejarnya. Vidura memasuki rimba yang mengerikan—kadang tampak, kadang lenyap dari pandangan.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when circumstances become frightening and unclear—‘now seen, now unseen’—one who is committed to dharma does not abandon responsibility. Yudhiṣṭhira’s solitary pursuit highlights steadfast care and moral resolve rather than comfort or safety.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira alone, without attendants, runs after a person who is entering a terrifying forest. The pursued figure is intermittently visible, suggesting distance, obscurity, and the difficulty of following into an unknown, austere space.