Shloka 34

Saptasārasvata-tīrtha-prasaṅgaḥ | The Saptasārasvata Pilgrimage Account and the Maṅkaṇaka Narrative

Devanagari script

प्रायात्‌ प्राचीं दिशं तत्र तत्र तीर्थान्यनेकश: । सहस्रशतसंख्यानि प्रथितानि पदे पदे

Transliteration

prāyāt prācīṃ diśaṃ tatra tatra tīrthāny anekaśaḥ | sahasraśata-saṅkhyāni prathitāni pade pade, paurava |

Translation

قال فايشَمبايانا: مضى قُدُمًا نحو الشرق، وعلى امتداد الطريق كانت تظهر عند كل خطوة معابرُ مقدّسةٌ كثيرة—مواطنُ حجٍّ ذائعةُ الصيت تُعَدّ بمئات الألوف، يا منحدرَ بورو.

Word by Word

• {'prāyāt': 'went forth

• proceeded', 'prācīm diśam': 'the eastern direction', 'tatra tatra': 'here and there

• in various places along the way', 'tīrthāni': 'sacred fords

• holy places', 'anekaśaḥ': 'in many ways

• in great numbers', 'sahasra-śata-saṅkhyāni': 'numbering by thousands and hundreds

• very numerous (idiomatically: in vast numbers)', 'prathitāni': 'well-known

• renowned', 'pade pade': 'at every step

• at every place', 'paurava': 'O Paurava

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Paurava (Janamejaya)
• prācī diś (east)
• tīrthas (pilgrimage sites)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dharmic value of tīrtha-yātrā: moving through sanctified places cultivates purity and auspiciousness, and it is paired with proper honoring of Brahmins through orderly, rule-based giving (dāna), reinforcing social and ritual ethics.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the traveler’s onward movement toward the east, where innumerable renowned pilgrimage sites appear along the route—so many that they are said to be present at every step—addressing the listener as ‘Paurava’ (Janamejaya).