Shloka 17
अध्याय ९० — लोमशोपदेशः तथा तीर्थयात्रानिश्चयः
Lomaśa’s Counsel and the Resolve for Pilgrimage
यत्र सर्वा: सरिच्छेष्ठा: साक्षात् तमृषिसत्तमम् | स्वं स्वं तोयमुपादाय परिवार्योपतस्थिरे,जिसमें सब श्रेष्ठ नदियाँ मूर्तिमती हो अपना-अपना जल लेकर उन मुनिश्रेष्ठके पास आयीं और उन्हें सब ओरसे घेरकर खड़ी हुई थीं
yatra sarvāḥ saricchreṣṭhāḥ sākṣāt tam ṛṣisattamam | svaṃ svaṃ toyam upādāya parivāryopatasthire ||
وهناك جاءت جميع الأنهار الأسمى—وقد تجسّدت في هيئةٍ محسوسة—مباشرةً إلى ذلك الأرفع من الحكماء. حملت كلُّ واحدةٍ ماءَها الخاص، ثم أحاطت به من كل جانب ووقفت في خدمةٍ مفعمةٍ بالتبجيل.
धौम्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s ethic of honoring spiritual excellence: even mighty natural forces (rivers) are portrayed as reverently serving a true sage, implying that purity, restraint, and tapas command respect beyond worldly power.
Dhaumya describes a scene where the foremost rivers arrive in embodied form before an eminent sage, each bringing her own waters, and they stand surrounding him in attendance—an image of nature offering homage to sanctity.