Shloka 44
Saptasārasvata-tīrtha-prasaṅgaḥ | The Saptasārasvata Pilgrimage Account and the Maṅkaṇaka Narrative
नैमिषारण्यवासियोंके उस द्वादशवर्षीय यज्ञमें वे महाभाग ऋषि दीर्घकालतक रहे। जब वह यज्ञ समाप्त हो गया तब बहुत-से महर्षि तीर्थसेवनके लिये वहाँ आये ।।
ṛṣīṇāṃ bahulatvāt tu sarasvatyā viśāṃpate | tīrthāni nagarāyante kūle vai dakṣiṇe tadā ||
قال فايشَمبايانا: «يا ربَّ الرعيّة، لكثرة الرِّشِيّين، بدت جميعُ التيرثات على الضفّة الجنوبيّة لنهر سارَسْوَتِي يومئذٍ كأنها مُدنٌ—غاصّةٌ بالزُّهّاد، وبالشعائر، وبحركة الحُجّاج بعد انقضاء القربان العظيم.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how collective dharmic activity—many sages gathering for sacrifice and pilgrimage—can transform a landscape into a living center of sanctity, suggesting that holiness is intensified by sustained practice, community, and presence.
After a long sacrificial session, numerous sages assemble for tīrtha-sevana (pilgrimage). Their sheer numbers make the Sarasvatī’s southern-bank pilgrimage spots look like bustling towns.