Shloka 13
रावणोत्पत्तिः—तपसा वरलाभश्च
Rāvaṇa’s Origins and the Acquisition of Boons
पुनर्बहुम्गं रम्यं काम्यकं काननोत्तमम् | मरुभूमे: शिर:स्थानं तृणबिन्दुसर: प्रति
punar bahuṃgamaṃ ramyaṃ kāmyakaṃ kānanottamam | marubhūmeḥ śiraḥsthānaṃ tṛṇabindusaraḥ prati
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Again they proceeded to the delightful Kāmyaka—foremost among forests—toward the lake of Tṛṇabindu, a headland-like high point on the edge of the desert. The narration underscores the Pandavas’ continued movement through austere landscapes, where choosing a righteous refuge and sustaining discipline amid hardship becomes part of their dharmic endurance in exile.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic perseverance: even in exile and harsh terrain, one continues forward with restraint and purpose, seeking wholesome refuges (forests, sacred waters) that support right living and inner steadiness.
The narrator describes the party’s continued travel: they go again to the beautiful Kāmyaka forest and proceed toward Tṛṇabindu’s lake, located at a prominent point near the desert—marking a transition through challenging geography during the exile narrative.