Shloka 3
अन्तर्वन-विद्यारण्योपमा
The Allegory of the Inner Forest of Knowledge
ब्राह्मण्युवाच क्व तद् वन महाप्राज्ञ के वृक्षा: सरितश्न॒ का: । गिरय: पर्वताश्चैव कियत्यध्वनि तद् वनम्
brāhmaṇy uvāca: kva tad vana mahāprajña ke vṛkṣāḥ saritaś ca kāḥ | girayaḥ parvatāś caiva kiyaty adhvani tad vanam ||
Wanita Brahmana bertanya: “Wahai yang amat bijaksana, di manakah hutan itu? Apakah jenis-jenis pohon yang ada di sana, dan sungai-sungai apakah yang mengalir di sana? Gunung-gunung dan puncak-puncak apakah yang terdapat di sana juga? Dan sejauh manakah hutan itu di sepanjang perjalanan?”
ब्राह्मण उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models disciplined inquiry: before undertaking an action or journey, one should seek clear knowledge of place, conditions, and distance—an aspect of prudent conduct aligned with dharma.
In dialogue, the Brahmin woman questions a wise interlocutor about the location of a particular forest, asking for its identifying features—trees, rivers, mountains—and how far it is to travel.