Shloka 6

Subhadrā-vivāha-saṃsthāpana, Vṛṣṇi–Kuru satkāra, and Abhimanyu-janma

Chapter 213

Devanagari script

पुण्यान्यपि च तीर्थानि ददर्श भरतर्षभ: । स गज्जद्वारमाश्रित्य निवेशमकरोत्‌ प्रभु:,भारत! नरश्रेष्ठ अर्जुनने मार्गमें अनेक रमणीय एवं विचित्र वन, सरोवर, नदी, सागर, देश और पुण्यतीर्थ देखे। धीरे-धीरे गंगाद्वार (हरद्वार)-में पहुँचकर शक्तिशाली पार्थने वहीं डेरा डाल दिया

Transliteration

puṇyāny api ca tīrthāni dadarśa bharatarṣabhaḥ | sa gajjadvāram āśritya niveśam akarot prabhuḥ |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Auch viele heilige Furten erblickte der Stier unter den Bhāratas. Dann schlug jener Mächtige, der bei Gajjadvāra—dem Tor zur Gaṅgā—Zuflucht nahm, dort sein Lager auf.

Word by Word

पुण्यानिholy, meritorious

अपिalso, even

चand

तीर्थानिpilgrimage-places, sacred fords

ददर्शsaw

भरतर्षभःbull among the Bharatas (best of the Bharatas)

सःhe

गज्जद्वारम्Gaṅgā-dvāra (Haridvāra)

आश्रित्यhaving resorted to, reaching and taking shelter at

निवेशम्camp, lodging, settlement

अकरोत्made, set up

प्रभुःthe mighty one, lord

भारतO Bhārata

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bharatarṣabha (epithet; contextually Arjuna)

Tīrthas (sacred places)

Gajjadvāra

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores dharmic travel: a hero does not move merely for conquest or pleasure but recognizes and honors puṇya through tīrthas, pausing at sanctified sites to align action with merit and restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

During his journey, the foremost Bharata hero (contextually Arjuna) sees many sacred pilgrimage places and then reaches Gajjadvāra, where he establishes a camp, marking a significant halt at a revered gateway-region of the Gaṅgā.