Shloka 3
Dhanañjaya-viraha-śoka and the Resolve to Enter Gandhamādana (धनंजय-विरह-शोकः गन्धमादन-प्रवेश-संकल्पश्च)
तन्मे दहति गात्राणि तूलराशिमिवानल: । यच्च वीरं न पश्यामि धनंजयमुपान्तिकात्,इतना प्रयास करनेपर भी मैं वीर धनंजयको जो अबतक अपने समीप नहीं देख पा रहा हूँ, इसकी चिन्ता मेरे सम्पूर्ण अंगोंको उसी प्रकार दग्ध कर रही है, जैसे आग रूईके ढेरको जलाती रहती है
tan me dahati gātrāṇi tūlarāśim ivānalaḥ | yac ca vīraṃ na paśyāmi dhanañjayam upāntikāt ||
Ang pangambang ito’y sumusugat sa aking mga sangkap na parang apoy na lumalamon sa bunton ng bulak: sa kabila ng lahat ng aking pagsisikap, hindi ko pa rin nakikita rito sa aking tabi ang bayaning si Dhanañjaya (Arjuna). Ang pagkawala ng siyang pinanghahawakan ng aming pag-asa ay nag-aapoy sa loob ko, ginagawang naglalagablab na init ang pag-aalala sa tungkulin at kaligtasan.
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how responsibility and attachment to a righteous cause can manifest as intense inner suffering: a leader’s concern for the safety and presence of a key ally becomes a consuming ‘fire.’ It implicitly teaches vigilance, the weight of dharma-bound leadership, and the emotional cost of depending on the virtuous and capable.
Yudhiṣṭhira speaks in distress that, despite efforts, he still does not see Arjuna (Dhanañjaya) close by. His worry is compared to fire rapidly burning cotton, conveying urgency and the critical importance of Arjuna’s presence for their situation in the forest narrative.