Shloka 3
अन्तर्वन-विद्यारण्योपमा
The Allegory of the Inner Forest of Knowledge
ब्राह्मण्युवाच क्व तद् वन महाप्राज्ञ के वृक्षा: सरितश्न॒ का: । गिरय: पर्वताश्चैव कियत्यध्वनि तद् वनम्,ब्राह्मणीने पूछा--महाप्राज्ञ! वह वन कहाँ है? उसमें कौन-कौनसे वृक्ष, गिरि, पर्वत और नदियाँ हैं तथा वह कितनी दूरीपर है
brāhmaṇy uvāca: kva tad vana mahāprajña ke vṛkṣāḥ saritaś ca kāḥ | girayaḥ parvatāś caiva kiyaty adhvani tad vanam ||
The Brahmin woman said: “O greatly wise one, where is that forest? What kinds of trees are there, and what rivers flow there? What mountains and peaks are found there as well? And how far away is that forest along the road?”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models disciplined inquiry: before undertaking an action or journey, one should seek clear knowledge of place, conditions, and distance—an aspect of prudent conduct aligned with dharma.
In dialogue, the Brahmin woman questions a wise interlocutor about the location of a particular forest, asking for its identifying features—trees, rivers, mountains—and how far it is to travel.