Shloka 18
Śakuntalā’s Satya-Discourse and the Recognition of Bharata (शकुन्तला–सत्योपदेशः; भरतप्रतिग्रहः)
विषमं पर्वतस्रस्तैरश्मभिश्व समावृतम् । निर्जलं निर्मनुष्यं च बहुयोजनमायतम्
viṣamaṃ parvatasrastair aśmabhiś ca samāvṛtam | nirjalaṃ nirmanuṣyaṃ ca bahuyojanam āyatam ||
ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ພື້ນທີ່ນັ້ນຂຸລຂະ ແລະ ຖືກປົກຄຸມດ້ວຍກ້ອນຫີນທີ່ຫຼົ່ນລົງຈາກພູ. ເນື່ອງຈາກພື້ນດິນສູງຕໍ່າບໍ່ເທົ່າກັນ ມັນຈຶ່ງເບິ່ງຄືວ່າຍາກຈະຂ້າມຜ່ານຢ່າງຍິ່ງ. ຖິ່ນກັນດານນັ້ນແຜ່ກວ້າງໄປຫຼາຍໂຍຊະນະ ບໍ່ປາກົດຮ່ອງຮອຍນໍ້າ ແລະ ບໍ່ມີຮ່ອງຮອຍມະນຸດ—ເປັນພູມທັດອັນແຫ້ງແລ້ງ ແລະ ນ່າຫວາດຫວັ່ນ ທີ່ທົດສອບຄວາມອົດທົນ ແລະ ຈິດໃຈອັນແນ່ວແນ່.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how the epic frames moral and spiritual testing through environment: an uninhabited, waterless, rock-strewn wilderness becomes a setting that demands steadiness, patience, and resilience—qualities essential for dharmic perseverance when external supports are absent.
Vaiśampāyana describes a vast stretch of harsh terrain—uneven ground covered with fallen mountain rocks, extending for many yojanas, with no water and no people—establishing the severity and isolation of the place through which the characters must pass or in which events are set.