Shloka 53
कामीकवन-समागमः
Kāmyaka Forest Meeting: Kṛṣṇa’s Visit; Mārkaṇḍeya and Nārada Arrive
स गत्वा तैस्तदा चिटह्लैर्ददर्श गिरिगह्रे । रूक्षमारुतभूयिष्ठे निष्पत्रद्रुमसंकुले,तब उन्हीं पद-चिह्लोंके सहारे जाकर उन्होंने पर्वतकी कन्दरामें अपने भाई भीमसेनको देखा, जो अजगरकी पकड़में आकर चेष्टाशून्य हो गये थे। उक्त पर्वतकी कन्दरामें विशेष रूपसे रूक्ष वायु चलती थी। वह गुफा ऐसे वृक्षोंसे ढकी थी, जिनमें नाममात्रके लिये भी पत्ते नहीं थे। इतना ही नहीं, वह स्थान ऊसर, निर्जल, काँटेदार वृक्षोंसे भरा हुआ, पत्थर, टूँठ और छोटे वृक्षोंसे व्याप्त, अत्यन्त दुर्गग और ऊँचा-नीचा था
sa gatvā tais tadā cihnaiḥ dadarśa girigahvare | rūkṣamārutabhūyiṣṭhe niṣpatradrumasaṅkule ||
Following those tracks, he went on and then beheld (his brother) in a mountain cavern. In that gorge the wind blew harshly, and the cave was choked with trees stripped of leaves. There he saw Bhīmasena, rendered motionless after being seized by a mighty serpent—an ominous scene that underscores how even the strongest can be brought low, and how vigilance and right action are demanded when a loved one is in peril.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Strength alone is not sufficient; sudden calamity can overpower even the mighty. The passage highlights the ethical urgency of attentive responsibility—recognizing danger through signs and acting promptly to protect one’s kin.
Tracking footprints/signs, the seeker reaches a bleak mountain cavern where harsh winds blow and leafless trees crowd the gorge. There he finds Bhīmasena immobilized, having been seized by a powerful serpent (ajagara), setting up the need for rescue and discernment.