Canto 2: Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa ()Chapter 67: The Sages Request Vasiṣṭha to Coronate a son of DaśarathaText 2.67.26
Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 67: The Sages Request Vasiṣṭha to Coronate a son of Daśaratha
Text 2.67.26
नाराजके जनपदे नराः शास्त्रविशारदाः।
संवदन्तोऽवतिष्ठन्ते वनेषूपवनेषु च॥
nārājake janapade narāḥ śāstra-viśāradāḥ
saṁvadanto ’vatiṣṭhante vaneṣūpavaneṣu ca
na = will not; arājake = without a bona fide king; janapade = in a land; narāḥ = men; śāstra-viśāradāḥ = expert in the scriptures; saṁvadantaḥ = explaining [the meaning of the scriptures]; avatiṣṭhante = reside; vaneṣu-upavaneṣu ca = in forests or groves.
In a land without a bona fide king, men expert in the scriptures will not reside in forests or groves, explaining [the meaning of the scriptures].
Those expert in the scriptures will not reside in forests, that is, forests where sages reside.