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 ||
Nỗi lo này thiêu đốt thân thể ta như lửa nuốt trọn một đống bông: dẫu đã gắng sức mọi bề, ta vẫn chưa thấy vị anh hùng Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) ở ngay gần đây. Sự vắng mặt của người mà chúng ta đặt trọn niềm hy vọng cứ cháy âm ỉ trong lòng, biến mối bận tâm về bổn phận và an nguy thành một ngọn nhiệt hỏa nuốt dần tâm can.
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.