Shloka 7
Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 181 — Svayaṃvara Aftermath: Arjuna–Karna Exchange and Bhīma–Śalya Contest
अरण्यं निर्जनं गत्वा सदार: परिचक्रमे । नानामृगगणाकीर्ण नानासत्त्वसमाकुलम्,अपनी स्त्रीके साथ निर्जन वनमें जाकर वे चारों ओर चक्कर लगाने लगे। वह महान् वन भाँति-भाँतिके मृगोंसे भरा हुआ था। उसमें नाना प्रकारके जीव-जन्तु निवास करते थे
araṇyaṃ nirjanaṃ gatvā sadāraḥ paricakrame | nānāmṛgagaṇākīrṇaṃ nānāsattvasamākulam ||
Having gone to a lonely wilderness together with his wife, he began to wander about on all sides. That great forest was crowded with herds of many kinds of deer and was teeming with diverse living creatures—setting the scene for an encounter in a liminal space where desire, restraint, and right conduct will be tested.
गन्धर्व उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the forest as a morally charged setting: solitude and untamed nature often become the backdrop for trials of self-control and dharma. By emphasizing ‘with his wife’ and the deserted wilderness, it hints at the ethical stakes of how one behaves when away from society’s gaze.
A man, accompanied by his wife, enters a deserted forest and roams about. The forest is described as vast and alive—filled with herds of deer and many creatures—preparing the narrative for a significant meeting or event to occur in this wilderness.