Shloka 3

Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 1 — The Pandavas’ Exit from Gajasāhvaya and the Citizens’ Lament (जनमेजयप्रश्नः; पाण्डवानां वनप्रस्थानम्)

Devanagari script

कथं चैश्वर्यविभ्रष्टा: सहसा दुःखमेयुष: । वने विजद्रिरे पार्था: शक्रप्रतिमतेजस:,तथा जो सहसा ऐश्वर्यसे वंचित हो जानेके कारण महान्‌ दुःखमें पड़ गये थे, उन इन्द्रके तुल्य तेजस्वी पाण्डवोंने वनमें किस प्रकार विचरण किया?

Transliteration

kathaṃ caiśvaryavibhraṣṭāḥ sahasā duḥkham eyuṣaḥ | vane vijadrire pārthāḥ śakrapratimatejasaḥ ||

Translation

ジャナメージャヤは問うた。「王の栄華を忽ち奪われ、大いなる苦しみに沈みながらも、なおインドラのごとく光り輝くパールタたちは、いかにして森をさまよったのか。そこで彼らはどのように耐え、いかに身を処して過ごしたのか。」

Word by Word

कथम्how?

चand

ऐश्वर्य-विभ्रष्टाःdeprived of sovereignty/prosperity

सहसाsuddenly, all at once

दुःखम्sorrow, misery

एयुःthey went/entered (into)

वनेin the forest

विजद्रिरेthey wandered about

पार्थाःthe sons of Pṛthā (the Pāṇḍavas)

शक्र-प्रतिम-तेजसःhaving splendor like Indra

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Janamejaya

Pārthas (Pāṇḍavas)

Indra (Śakra)

Forest (Vana)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the ethical tension between external fortune (aiśvarya) and inner worth (tejas): even when righteous people lose power suddenly, their conduct in adversity becomes the true measure of dharma—how they endure suffering without losing dignity and moral direction.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the frame dialogue, King Janamejaya asks the narrator to explain how the Pāṇḍavas, abruptly dispossessed of their kingdom and thrown into misery, lived and moved about in the forest during exile, despite being described as radiant and formidable like Indra.