Shloka 44
Duḥṣantasya Vana-praveśaḥ
King Duḥṣanta’s Entry into the Forest Hunt
पाटलैनरिकेलैश्व चन्दनैश्नार्जुनैस्तथा । एतै रम्यैर्महावक्षै: पुण्यै: स्वादुफलैर्युतम्,राजाका वह वन देवताओंके चैत्ररथ नामक वनके समान शोभा पा रहा था। वसन्तका समय था; अशोक, चम्पा, आम, अतिमुक्तक (माधवीलता), पुन्नाग (नागकेसर), कनेर, मौलसिरी, दिव्य पाटल, पाटल, नारियल, चन्दन तथा अर्जुन--से स्वादिष्ट फलोंसे युक्त, रमणीय तथा पवित्र महावृक्ष उस वनकी शोभा बढ़ा रहे थे। कोकिलाओंके कल-कूजनसे समस्त वन गूँज उठा था। चारों ओर मतवाले भौंरे कल-कल नाद कर रहे थे
pāṭalair narikelaiś ca candanaiś nārjunais tathā | etai ramyair mahāvṛkṣaiḥ puṇyaiḥ svāduphalair yutam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: The forest—adorned with pāṭala trees, coconut palms, sandalwood, and arjuna trees—was filled with delightful, lofty, and auspicious great trees bearing sweet fruits. In the spring season it shone like the divine Caitraratha grove of the gods, resounding with the cuckoos’ calls and the humming of intoxicated bees, presenting a vision of natural order and sacred beauty that frames the royal setting as harmonious and blessed.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds auspicious natural order: a well-fruited, fragrant, and harmonious forest is presented as a sign of blessing and rightness (puṇya/śrī). By likening the scene to the gods’ Caitraratha grove, the narrative suggests that environments reflecting balance, fertility, and beauty support dharmic life and legitimate royal presence.
Vaiśampāyana describes a springtime forest rich with pāṭala, coconut, sandalwood, and arjuna trees, heavy with sweet fruits and alive with birdsong and bees. The setting is elevated by comparison to the divine Caitraratha forest, emphasizing the extraordinary beauty and auspicious atmosphere surrounding the scene.