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 ||
毗湿摩波耶那说道：随后，般度五子来到持国王的林居道场。那里不见人迹，四周尽是成群的鹿徜徉其间，又有一片芭蕉林点缀其美。般度五子甫一到达，许多严守誓戒与清规的苦行仙人，因好奇而出，前来观看。此景凸显道义的对照：在宫廷的暴烈与权谋之后，森林的阿湿罗摩象征克制、清净，以及以苦修（tapas）践行之法（dharma）那沉静而有力的权威。
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.