Shloka 9
Ādi-parva 109: Pāṇḍu’s Forest Hunt and Kiṃdama’s Curse (पाण्डोर्मृगयावृत्तान्तः—किंदमशापः)
प्रासादशतसम्बाध॑ महेन्द्रपुरसंनिभम् । नदीषु वनखण्डेषु वापीपल्वलसानुषु । काननेषु च रम्येषु विजहुर्मुदिता जना:,सैकड़ों महलोंसे संयुक्त वह पुरी देवराज इन्द्रकी अमरावतीके समान शोभा पाती थी। वहाँके लोग नदियों, वनखण्डों, बावलियों, छोटे-छोटे जलाशयों, पर्वतशिखरों तथा रमणीय काननोंमें प्रसन्नतापूर्वक विहार करते थे
prāsādaśatasambādhaṃ mahendrapurasaṃnibham | nadīṣu vanakhaṇḍeṣu vāpīpalvalasānuṣu | kānaneṣu ca ramyeṣu vijahur muditā janāḥ ||
Disse Vaiśaṃpāyana: A cidade, apinhada de centenas de palácios, resplandecia como a capital de Mahendra. Ali o povo, alegre de coração, entregava-se ao recreio—junto aos rios, em trechos de floresta, perto de poços e pequenos lagos, em encostas e terras altas, e em bosques encantadores—retratando uma vida cívica tão ordenada que permitia prosperidade, lazer e contentamento.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse implicitly links social well-being to an ordered, prosperous civic life: when a community is stable and flourishing, people can enjoy nature and recreation without fear—suggesting that good governance and collective dharma create the conditions for contentment.
Vaiśaṃpāyana is describing a magnificent city—packed with palaces and likened to Indra’s capital—where the inhabitants happily roam and enjoy rivers, forests, wells, ponds, slopes, and pleasant groves.