Shloka 17

Devanagari script

वराहनानामृगपक्षिजुष्ट महावन चैत्ररथप्रकाशम्‌ शिवेन पार्था मृगयाप्रधाना: संवत्सरं तत्र वने विजहुः,वह विशाल वन चैत्ररथ वनके समान शोभायमान था। वहाँ सूअर, नाना प्रकारके मृग तथा पक्षी निवास करते थे। उन दिनों पाण्डवोंका वहाँ हिंस्र जीवोंको मारना ही प्रधान काम था। वहाँ वे एक वर्षतक बड़े सुखसे विचरते रहे

Transliteration

Varāha-nānā-mṛga-pakṣi-juṣṭaṁ mahā-vanaṁ Caitraratha-prakāśam | Śivena, Pārthā mṛgayā-pradhānāḥ saṁvatsaraṁ tatra vane vijahuḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: The Pārthas spent a full year roaming in that great forest, bright and lovely like Caitraratha, frequented by boars, many kinds of deer, and birds. Living there under auspicious conditions, their chief occupation was hunting—an activity presented here as part of their forest-life discipline and survival, rather than as mere sport.

Word by Word

• {'varāha': 'boar', 'nānā': 'various, many kinds', 'mṛga': 'wild animals

• especially deer', 'pakṣi': 'birds', 'juṣṭa': 'frequented by, inhabited by', 'mahāvanam': 'great forest', 'Caitraratha': 'Caitraratha (Kubera’s famed grove/forest), a standard of beauty', 'prakāśam': 'bright, splendid, shining

• conspicuous in beauty', 'śivena': 'with auspiciousness

• under благоприятные conditions', 'Pārthāḥ': 'the sons of Pṛthā (Kuntī), i.e., the Pāṇḍavas', 'mṛgayā': 'hunting', 'pradhānāḥ': 'chief, principal

• having as the main activity', 'saṁvatsaram': 'for a year', 'tatra': 'there', 'vane': 'in the forest', 'vijahuḥ': 'they spent (time), they roamed about, they lived/enjoyed (dwelt)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pārthas (Pāṇḍavas)
• Caitraratha (forest/grove)
• boars
• deer/wild animals
• birds
• forest

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames the Pāṇḍavas’ forest-exile as disciplined living: they endure hardship in a beautiful yet wild environment, and hunting appears as a practical, duty-linked activity of kṣatriyas in the wilderness—connected to sustenance and protection rather than indulgence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the Pāṇḍavas residing for a year in a splendid forest likened to Caitraratha, rich with wildlife. During this period, their main occupation is hunting as part of their life in the forest.