Shloka 20
ते द्वादशं वर्षमुपोपयातं वने विहर्तु कुरव: प्रतीता: तस्माद् वनाच्चैत्ररथप्रकाशात् श्रिया ज्वलन्तस्तपसा च युक्ता:
te dvādaśaṁ varṣam upopayātaṁ vane vihartu kuravaḥ pratītāḥ | tasmād vanāc caitraratha-prakāśāt śriyā jvalantas tapasā ca yuktāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: When the twelfth year had arrived, the Kurus, resolved to pass their time in the forest, set out from that woodland—bright like Citraratha—radiant with prosperity and strengthened by austerity. The verse underscores a moral contrast: true strength is not only royal splendor but also self-restraint and disciplined endurance during hardship.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that genuine excellence combines outer fortune (śrī) with inner discipline (tapas). Even in exile, ethical strength is shown through resolve, restraint, and steadfastness rather than comfort alone.
As the twelfth year arrives, the Kurus (contextually the exiled party) are determined to spend their time in the forest. They depart from a forest described as radiant like Citraratha, portrayed as both splendid and marked by ascetic discipline.