Shloka 27

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

Devanagari script

पुण्यं द्वैतवनं राजन्नाजगाम हलायुध: । तत्र गत्वा मुनीन्‌ दृष्टवा नानावेषधरान्‌ बल:

Transliteration

puṇyaṃ dvaitavanaṃ rājann ājagāma halāyudhaḥ | tatra gatvā munīn dṛṣṭvā nānāveṣadharān balaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O König, Halāyudha (Balarāma) gelangte in den heiligen Wald Dvaitavana. Dort angekommen, erblickte der Mächtige Weisen, die vielerlei Gestalten und Verkleidungen angenommen hatten.“

Word by Word

पुण्यम्holy, meritorious

द्वैतवनम्Dvaītavana (forest)

राजन्O king

आजगामcame, arrived

हलायुधःHalāyudha (Balarāma; 'plough-weaponed')

तत्रthere

गत्वाhaving gone

मुनीन्sages

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

नानाvarious, many kinds of

वेषधरान्wearing disguises / bearing various garbs

बलःBala (Balarāma)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Balarāma (Halāyudha)

Dvaitavana

munis (sages)

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 highlights the ethical and spiritual counterpoint to warfare: even amid a war-centered parva, the narrative pauses at a sacred forest where sages embody discipline and diverse modes of renunciation, suggesting that dharma is sustained not only by warriors and kings but also by ascetics and holy places.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports that Balarāma arrives at the sacred Dvaitavana forest and, upon reaching it, sees many sages who appear in varied garbs or forms—indicating a gathering of ascetics and the forest’s sanctity.