Shloka 2
आरण्यकपर्वणि अध्यायः २१६ — इन्द्र-स्कन्द-संमुखता वज्रप्रहारश्च
Indra approaches Skanda; vajra strike and the arising of Viśākha
मार्कण्डेयजी कहते हैं--युधिष्ठिर! इस प्रकार धर्मात्मा व्याधने कौशिक ब्राह्मणको अपने माता-पितारूप दोनों गुरुजनोंका दर्शन कराकर पुनः उससे इस प्रकार कहा -- ३ ॥। प्रवृत्तचक्षुर्जातो 5स्मि सम्पश्य तपसो बलम् । यदर्थमुक्तोडसि तया गच्छ त्वं मिथिलामिति,“ब्राह्मण!” माता-पिताकी सेवा ही मेरी तपस्या है। इस तपस्याका प्रभाव देखिये। मुझे दिव्य-दृष्टि प्राप्त हो गयी है, जिसके कारण उस पतिव्रता देवीने जो सदा पतिकी ही सेवामें संलग्न रहनेवाली, जितेन्द्रिय तथा सत्य एवं सदाचारमें तत्पर है, आपको यह कहकर यहाँ भेजा था कि “आप मिथिलापुरीको जाइये। वहाँ एक व्याध रहता है। वह आपको सब धर्मोका उपदेश करेगा”
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca— yudhiṣṭhira! evaṃ dharmātmā vyādhaḥ kauśika-brāhmaṇaṃ svamātā-pitṛrūpau ubhau gurū darśayitvā punaḥ tam idam uvāca— “pravṛtta-cakṣur jāto ’smi; sampaśya tapaso balam. yad-artham ukto ’si tayā— gaccha tvaṃ mithilām iti. brāhmaṇa! mātā-pitṛ-sevāiva mama tapas; asyāḥ tapasyāḥ prabhāvena me divya-dṛṣṭiḥ prāptā. sā pativratā devī nityaṃ pati-sevā-parā jitendriyā satya-sadācāra-parā ca tvām evam uktvā preṣitavatī— ‘mithilāṃ gaccha; tatra vyādhaḥ vasati; sa te sarva-dharmān upadiśiṣyati’.”
Markandeya said: “Yudhishthira, in this way the righteous hunter first showed the Brahmin Kaushika his two teachers in the form of his mother and father, and then spoke again: ‘My inner sight has awakened—behold the power of austerity. The reason that devoted woman told you, “Go to Mithila,” is this: O Brahmin, service to my mother and father is itself my austerity. By the force of that discipline I have gained divine vision. That chaste lady—ever intent on serving her husband, self-controlled, and devoted to truth and good conduct—sent you here saying, “Go to Mithila; there lives a hunter who will instruct you in all the duties of dharma.”’”
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
True tapas is not only forest-austerity; disciplined ethical living—especially reverent service to one’s parents as primary gurus—can itself be austerity, yielding spiritual power and clarity. Dharma is grounded in self-control, truth, and good conduct.
The righteous hunter reveals his parents to the Brahmin Kaushika as his two gurus and explains that his ‘austerity’ is serving them. He claims this has granted him divine sight, and he recounts how a devoted, self-controlled wife directed the Brahmin toward Mithila, where a hunter would teach him dharma.