Ṛśyaśṛṅgopākhyāna-praveśaḥ — Lomāśa narrates the origins of Ṛśyaśṛṅga and the Anga drought (ऋश्यशृङ्गोपाख्यान-प्रवेशः)
पर्वतं स समासाद्य हेमकूटमनामयम् | अचिन्त्यानद्भुतान् भावान् ददर्श सुबहून् नृप:,तत्पश्चात् रोग-शोकसे रहित हेमकूट पर्वतपर पहुँचकर राजा युधिष्ठिरने वहाँ बहुत-सी अचिन्त्य एवं अद्भुत बातें देखीं
parvataṁ sa samāsādya hemakūṭam anāmayam | acintyān adbhutān bhāvān dadarśa subahūn nṛpaḥ ||
Wika ni Vaiśampāyana: Nang marating ang bundok na Hemakūṭa, na malaya sa karamdaman at dalamhati, nakita ni Haring Yudhiṣṭhira ang maraming pangyayaring di-mawari at kagila-gilalas. Ipinahihiwatig ng mga ito na ang paglalakbay sa gubat ay hindi lamang paghihirap, kundi isang larangan ng pagsubok at pagtuturo sa matuwid sa pamamagitan ng mga hiwagang lampas sa karaniwang karanasan.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse frames the forest journey as a dharmic testing-ground: when one reaches a place described as 'free from affliction,' one may still encounter the 'unthinkable'—suggesting that righteousness requires steadiness and discernment even amid extraordinary experiences.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that King Yudhiṣṭhira arrives at the Hemakūṭa mountain and witnesses many astonishing, beyond-imagination phenomena there, setting the stage for further events in the forest episode.