Shloka 4
Raibhya-putrayoḥ satra-vṛttāntaḥ — The Satra Episode of Raibhya’s Sons
Parāvasu and Arvāvasu
अथावलोककोडगच्छद् गृहानेक: परावसु: । कृष्णाजिनेन संवीतं ददर्श पितरं वने,कुन्तीनन्दन! पिताकी आज्ञा पाकर वे दोनों भाई राजाके यज्ञमें चले गये। आश्रममें केवल रैभ्य मुनि तथा उनके पुत्र परावसुकी पत्नी रह गयी। एक दिन घरकी देख-भाल करनेके लिये परावसु अकेले ही आश्रमपर आये। उस समय उन्होंने काले मृगचर्मसे ढके हुए अपने पिताको वनमें देखा
athāvalokakoḍagacchad gṛhānekaḥ parāvasuḥ | kṛṣṇājinena saṃvītaṃ dadarśa pitaraṃ vane, kuntīnandana! pitākī ājñā pākar ve donoṃ bhāī rājāke yajñameṃ cale gaye | āśramameṃ kevalaṃ raibhya muni tathā unke putra parāvasukī patnī rah gayī | eka dina gharakī dekh-bhāl karaneke liye parāvasu akelā hī āśramapar āye | usa samaya unhoṃne kāle mṛgacarmase ḍhake hue apane pitāko vanameṃ dekhā
Então Parāvasu, vindo sozinho para cuidar da casa, dirigiu-se ao eremitério. Ali, na floresta, viu seu pai envolto numa pele de antílope negro. Ó filho de Kuntī, após receberem a ordem paterna, os dois irmãos haviam ido ao sacrifício do rei; no āśrama restavam apenas o sábio Raibhya e a esposa de Parāvasu. Essa visão prepara uma tensão moral entre a obediência aos anciãos, o dever de administrar o lar e o perigo do engano e do juízo precipitado num recinto sagrado.
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds dharma in everyday conduct: even in sacred spaces like an āśrama, one must act with restraint and clarity. Obedience to a father’s command and participation in ritual duty are important, but so is careful perception—misreading a situation can lead to grave ethical failure.
After the two brothers depart for a king’s sacrifice on their father’s instruction, Parāvasu later returns alone to manage the hermitage. In the forest he sees his father covered with a black antelope-skin, a detail that signals ascetic context and foreshadows potential misunderstanding in what follows.