Shloka 3
Kuntī’s Retrospective Uddharṣaṇa and Renunciatory Resolve (कुन्त्युद्धर्षण-प्रत्याख्यानम्)
आश्रमं ते ततो जम्मुर्धुतराष्ट्रस्य पाण्डवा: । शून्यं मृगगणाकीर्ण कदलीवनशोभितम्
āśramaṃ te tato jagmur dhṛtarāṣṭrasya pāṇḍavāḥ | śūnyaṃ mṛgagaṇākīrṇaṃ kadalīvanaśobhitam ||
پھر پاندَو دھرتراشٹر کے آشرم میں گئے۔ وہ انسانوں سے خالی تھا؛ چاروں طرف ہرنوں کے غول پھر رہے تھے اور کیلے کے جھنڈ کی زیبائش سے وہ آراستہ تھا۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical shift from royal life to āśrama-dharma: a space marked by non-violence, restraint, and purity. The deserted hermitage and the presence of deer symbolize peace and the natural order, suggesting that true authority after conflict lies in self-discipline (tapas) and adherence to vows rather than power.
Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that the Pāṇḍavas travel to Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s forest hermitage. The place is quiet and humanless, alive with deer and beautified by a plantain grove. On their arrival, many vow-observing ascetics gather to see the famed Pāṇḍavas, indicating the hermitage’s spiritual community and the significance of their visit.