Shloka 96
Saṃsāra-Gahana Allegory: The Brāhmaṇa in the Forest and Well (संसारगहन-आख्यान)
नभ:स्प॒शैर्महावक्षै: परिक्षिप्तं महावनम् । पर्वतोंके समान ऊँचे और पाँच सिरवाले नागों तथा बड़े-बड़े गगनचुम्बी वृक्षोंसे वह विशाल वन व्याप्त हो रहा है
nabhaḥspṛśair mahāvakṣaiḥ parikṣiptaṃ mahāvanam | parvatāṅke samānoccaiḥ pañcaśīrṣair nāgaiś ca bṛhadbhiḥ gaganacumbibhiḥ vṛkṣaiś ca tad viśālaṃ vanaṃ vyāptaṃ bhavati |
Vidura describes a vast forest enclosed and filled by towering, broad-trunked trees that seem to touch the sky. The woodland rises like the slopes of mountains and is inhabited by great serpents with five hoods. The scene evokes a formidable, awe-inspiring wilderness—an external mirror to the post-war world’s heaviness, where nature’s grandeur stands alongside latent danger and fear.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily teaches through imagery: the post-war world is not merely human grief but a landscape of overwhelming forces—grandeur mixed with danger. It invites ethical reflection on how violence leaves one moving through a world that feels vast, heavy, and perilous, requiring steadiness and discernment.
Vidura is describing a huge forest scene—towering trees that seem to touch the sky and great five-hooded serpents—emphasizing the intimidating, expansive terrain encountered in the aftermath setting of Strī Parva.