Shloka 23
Arjuna’s Himalayan Departure and the Commencement of Severe Tapas
Janamejaya’s Inquiry; Sages Approach Śiva
न मत्कृते त्वया वीर भी: कार्या वनमन्तिकात् । इयं भूमि: सदास्माकमुचिता वसतां वने,“वीर! तुम हमारे लिये वनके निकट आनेके कारण भय न करो। हम तो वनवासी हैं, अतः हमारे लिये इस भूमिपर विचरना सदा उचित ही है
na matkṛte tvayā vīra bhīḥ kāryā vanam antikāt | iyaṃ bhūmiḥ sadāsmākam ucitā vasatāṃ vane ||
毗湿摩波耶那说：“勇士啊，你因我们而近林，不必畏惧。我们本是林中之人；在这片土地上行走往来，于我们永远合宜。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches steadiness and propriety: those accustomed to the forest should not be treated as endangered merely because others approach the wilderness. Fear is to be governed by context and duty (ucita), not by assumption.
The speaker reassures an addressed hero that his coming near the forest should not cause anxiety on their behalf, because they are forest-dwellers for whom this terrain is natural and appropriate.