Mahabharata 3.175.4-11

Devanāgarī

वैशंपायन उवाच
बह्वाश्चर्ये वने तेषां वसताम् उग्रधन्विनाम् ॥
प्राप्तानाम् आश्रमाद् राजन् राजर्षेर् वृषपर्वणः ॥
यदृच्छया धनुष्पाणिर् बद्धखड्गो वृकोदरः ॥
ददर्श तद् वनं रम्यं देवगन्धर्वसेवितम् ॥
स ददर्श शुभान् देशान् गिरेर् हिमवतस् तदा ॥
देवर्षिसिद्धचरितान् अप्सरोगणसेवितान् ॥
चकोरैश् चक्रवाकैश् च पक्षिभिर् जीवजीवकैः ॥
कोकिलैर् भृङ्गराजैश् च तत्र तत्र विनादितान् ॥
नित्यपुष्पफलैर् वृक्षैर् हिमसंस्पर्शकोमलैः ॥
उपेतान् बहुलच्छायैर् मनोनयननन्दनैः ॥
स संपश्यन् गिरिनदीर् वैडूर्यमणिसंनिभैः ॥
सलिलैर् हिमसंस्पर्शैर् हंसकारण्डवायुतैः ॥
वनानि देवदारूणां मेघानाम् इव वागुराः ॥
हरिचन्दनमिश्राणि तुङ्गकालीयकान्य् अपि ॥
मृगयां परिधावन् स समेषु मरुधन्वसु ॥
विध्यन् मृगाञ् शरैः शुद्धैश् चचार सुमहाबलः ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca
bahvāścarye vane teṣāṃ vasatām ugradhanvinām ||
prāptānām āśramād rājan rājarṣer vṛṣaparvaṇaḥ ||
yadṛcchayā dhanuṣpāṇir baddhakhaḍgo vṛkodaraḥ ||
dadarśa tad vanaṃ ramyaṃ devagandharvasevitam ||
sa dadarśa śubhān deśān girer himavatas tadā ||
devarṣisiddhacaritān apsarogaṇasevitān ||
cakoraiś cakravākaiś ca pakṣibhir jīvajīvakaiḥ ||
kokilair bhṛṅgarājaiś ca tatra tatra vināditān ||
nityapuṣpaphalair vṛkṣair himasaṃsparśakomalaiḥ ||
upetān bahulacchāyair manonayananandanaiḥ ||
sa saṃpaśyan girinadīr vaiḍūryamaṇisaṃnibhaiḥ ||
salilair himasaṃsparśair haṃsakāraṇḍavāyutaiḥ ||
vanāni devadārūṇāṃ meghānām iva vāgurāḥ ||
haricandanamiśrāṇi tuṅgakālīyakāny api ||
mṛgayāṃ paridhāvan sa sameṣu marudhanvasu ||
vidhyan mṛgāñ śaraiḥ śuddhaiś cacāra sumahābalaḥ ||

Word-by-word

SanskritIASTMeaning

वैशंपायन उवाच बह्वाश्चर्ये वने तेषां वसताम् उग्रधन्विनाम् ॥ प्राप्तानाम् आश्रमाद् राजन् राजर्षेर् वृषपर्वणः ॥ यदृच्छया धनुष्पाणिर् बद्धखड्गो वृकोदरः ॥ ददर्श तद् वनं रम्यं देवगन्धर्वसेवितम् ॥ स ददर्श शुभान् देशान् गिरेर् हिमवतस् तदा ॥ देवर्षिसिद्धचरितान् अप्सरोगणसेवितान् ॥ चकोरैश् चक्रवाकैश् च पक्षिभिर् जीवजीवकैः ॥ कोकिलैर् भृङ्गराजैश् च तत्र तत्र विनादितान् ॥ नित्यपुष्पफलैर् वृक्षैर् हिमसंस्पर्शकोमलैः ॥ उपेतान् बहुलच्छायैर् मनोनयननन्दनैः ॥ स संपश्यन् गिरिनदीर् वैडूर्यमणिसंनिभैः ॥ सलिलैर् हिमसंस्पर्शैर् हंसकारण्डवायुतैः ॥ वनानि देवदारूणां मेघानाम् इव वागुराः ॥ हरिचन्दनमिश्राणि तुङ्गकालीयकान्य् अपि ॥ मृगयां परिधावन् स समेषु मरुधन्वसु ॥ विध्यन् मृगाञ् शरैः शुद्धैश् चचार सुमहाबलः ॥vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca bahvāścarye vane teṣāṃ vasatām ugradhanvinām || prāptānām āśramād rājan rājarṣer vṛṣaparvaṇaḥ || yadṛcchayā dhanuṣpāṇir baddhakhaḍgo vṛkodaraḥ || dadarśa tad vanaṃ ramyaṃ devagandharvasevitam || sa dadarśa śubhān deśān girer himavatas tadā || devarṣisiddhacaritān apsarogaṇasevitān || cakoraiś cakravākaiś ca pakṣibhir jīvajīvakaiḥ || kokilair bhṛṅgarājaiś ca tatra tatra vināditān || nityapuṣpaphalair vṛkṣair himasaṃsparśakomalaiḥ || upetān bahulacchāyair manonayananandanaiḥ || sa saṃpaśyan girinadīr vaiḍūryamaṇisaṃnibhaiḥ || salilair himasaṃsparśair haṃsakāraṇḍavāyutaiḥ || vanāni devadārūṇāṃ meghānām iva vāgurāḥ || haricandanamiśrāṇi tuṅgakālīyakāny api || mṛgayāṃ paridhāvan sa sameṣu marudhanvasu || vidhyan mṛgāñ śaraiḥ śuddhaiś cacāra sumahābalaḥ ||While the Pandavas, wielders of terrible bows, dwelt in a forest full of wonders after reaching the hermitage of the royal sage Vrishaparvan, Vrikodara, bow and sword in hand, chanced upon a beautiful forest frequented by gods and gandharvas; he beheld the auspicious regions of Himavat, where devarshis and siddhas walked and troops of apsaras came to serve; he beheld chakoras, chakravakas, jivajivaka birds, cuckoos, and bhringarajas resounding on every side; the trees bore flowers and fruit at all times, soft to the touch of snow, dense with shade, delighting the mind and the eyes; he beheld mountain rivers with waters like vaidurya, cold as snow, filled with swans and karandavas, and forests of deodar like nets of clouds, mingled with haricandana and tall kaliyaka trees; hunting over the level ground of Marudhanva, he ranged about, striking down beasts with unsullied arrows.

Translation

Vaishampayana said: "While these wielders of terrible bows dwelt in a forest full of wonders, having reached the hermitage of the royal sage Vrishaparvan, Vrikodara one day, bow in hand and sword at his side, beheld a beautiful forest frequented by gods and gandharvas. He beheld the auspicious regions of Mount Himavat, where devarshis and siddhas walked, and where hosts of apsaras came. Here and there resounded chakoras, chakravakas, jivajivaka birds, cuckoos, and bhringarajas. The forest was filled with trees ever in flower and fruit, soft to the touch of snow, dense with shade, delighting the mind and the eyes. Bhima beheld mountain rivers with waters like vaidurya, cold from the snow, filled with swans and karandavas; he beheld forests of deodar, like nets of clouds, mingled with haricandana and tall kaliyaka trees. Hunting over the level ground of Marudhanva, the man of great strength went about, striking down beasts with unsullied arrows."

Commentary

The forest's beauty frames the danger to come: Bhima enters it as hunter and hero, but nature itself will soon teach him a different lesson.

Version

43486af9264c · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:12:44 PM UTC

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