Shloka 3
The Horse’s Journey
to Cyavana’s Hermitage
न्यवर्तताश्रमं श्रेष्ठं पयोष्णीतीरसंस्थितम् । निर्वैरजं तु जनतासंकुलं मृगसेवितम्
nyavartatāśramaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ payoṣṇītīrasaṃsthitam | nirvairajaṃ tu janatāsaṃkulaṃ mṛgasevitam
เขากลับไปยังอาศรมอันประเสริฐซึ่งตั้งอยู่ริมฝั่งแม่น้ำปโยษณี—เป็นแดนปราศจากเวรภัย มีผู้คนมาเยือนเนืองแน่น และมีฝูงกวางแวะเวียนมาสถิต
Narrator (contextual voice within the Purāṇic dialogue; specific speaker not identifiable from this single verse alone)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: river
Sandhi Resolution Notes: न्यवर्तताश्रमं → न्यवर्तत आश्रमम्; पयोष्णीतीरसंस्थितम् → पयोष्णी-तीर-संस्थितम्; जनतासंकुलं → जनता-संकुलम्; मृगसेवितम् → मृग-सेवितम्
FAQs
It places an exemplary āśrama on a specific riverbank (Payoṣṇī), showing how Purāṇic narratives anchor spiritual life in identifiable landscapes—rivers, forests, and settlements—forming a map of sacred geography.
Indirectly: the “excellent hermitage” suggests a conducive environment for worship, recitation, and disciplined living. The stress is less on doctrine and more on the devotional ecology—peaceful, accessible, and naturally sanctifying.
The key virtue is “nirvaira” (freedom from hostility). A righteous community is portrayed as one where human society and nature coexist without fear—an ethical ideal of non-violence, restraint, and harmony.