Shloka 24
Arjuna’s Himalayan Departure and the Commencement of Severe Tapas
Janamejaya’s Inquiry; Sages Approach Śiva
त्वया तु दुष्कर: कस्मादिह वास: प्ररोचित: । वयं तु बहुसत्त्वेडस्मिन् निवसामस्तपोधन,'किंतु तुमने यहाँका दुष्कर निवास कैसे पसंद किया? तपोधन! हम तो अनेक प्रकारके जीव-जन्तुओंसे भरे हुए इस वनमें सदा ही रहते हैं
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
tvayā tu duṣkaraḥ kasmād iha vāsaḥ prarocitaḥ |
vayaṃ tu bahusattve 'smin nivasāmas tapodhana ||
毗湿摩波耶那说：“但你为何偏要选择在此艰难之地栖居？苦行功德深厚者啊，我们却长久住在这座林中，此处万类众生繁多拥挤。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the contrast between ordinary comfort and the ascetic’s deliberate acceptance of hardship: choosing a difficult residence can be an ethical-spiritual discipline, while those accustomed to the wilderness endure it as their normal way of life.
Vaiśampāyana, narrating the events, voices a question to an addressed ascetic (‘tapodhana’): why he has opted to live in a harsh forest environment, whereas others (the speakers’ group) already reside there amid many creatures.