Shloka 4
नलस्य बाहुकत्वेन ऋतुपर्णनगरप्रवेशः
Nala as Bāhuka enters Ṛtuparṇa’s city
जम्ब्वाग्नलो ध्रखदिरसालवेत्रसमाकुलम् । पद्मकामलकप्लक्षकदम्बोदुम्बरावृतम्
jambvāgnalo dhrakhadirasālavetrasamākulam | padmakāmalakaplakṣakadambodumbarāvṛtam
Bṛhadaśva nói: “(Vùng ấy) dày đặc cây jambu và những đám lửa bừng cháy, lẫn trong bụi rậm dhava, khadira, śāla và vetra; lại phủ kín bởi sen và thủy liên, cùng các cây kaplakṣa, kadamba và udumbara.”
बृहृदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the Mahābhārata’s ethical atmosphere of exile and endurance by depicting a dense, sometimes perilous forest landscape—suggesting that dharma is lived not only in courts and battles but also through steadfastness amid hardship and uncertainty.
Bṛhadaśva is describing a forested region in vivid botanical detail—trees, thickets, and lotus-filled waters—setting the scene for the characters’ movement through the wilderness and emphasizing the texture of life in the Vana (forest) setting.