अश्रमवासिनां विषादः — Lament in Hastināpura after the Elders’ Forest Withdrawal
तेषां तत्र कथा दिव्या धर्मिष्ठा श्ना भवन् नूप । ऋषीणां च पुराणानां देवासुरविमिश्रिता:
teṣāṃ tatra kathā divyā dharmiṣṭhāś ca bhavan nṛpa | ṛṣīṇāṃ ca purāṇānāṃ devāsura-vimiśritāḥ ||
Disse Vaiśampāyana: Ali, entre eles, ergueram-se conversas sagradas, firmemente alicerçadas no dharma, ó rei. Também se iniciaram discussões sobre os antigos rishis e as velhas tradições, entrelaçadas com relatos de deuses e asuras.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Even after great upheavals, the mind is steadied through dharma-centered discourse—recollecting righteous traditions and exemplary narratives. The verse highlights that sacred conversation itself becomes a means of ethical orientation and inner consolidation.
In the setting of the Āśramavāsika episode, the gathered people begin exchanging elevated, dharma-focused stories. Their talk turns to ancient seers and old lore, including blended accounts involving devas and asuras—traditional narratives that frame moral reflection.