Shloka 72
Kāṣṭhīla-Upākhyāna: Rākṣasī, Spear-Śakti, and Kāśī as Śakti-kṣetra
विद्या मोक्षकरी प्रोक्ता तृष्णा वैतरणी नदी । वैतरण्यां पतन्भर्ता मयोद्धृत इहाभवत् ॥ ७२ ॥
vidyā mokṣakarī proktā tṛṣṇā vaitaraṇī nadī | vaitaraṇyāṃ patanbhartā mayoddhṛta ihābhavat || 72 ||
Vidyā, wahre geistige Erkenntnis, wird als Ursache der Befreiung verkündet, während die Begierde der Fluss Vaitaraṇī ist. Als mein Gatte in diese Vaitaraṇī fiel, habe ich ihn hier herausgerettet.
Narrative speaker within a tirtha-mahatmya episode (a devoted wife recounting the event); framed within Suta’s narration of Uttara-Bhaga traditions
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It contrasts vidyā (liberating wisdom) with tṛṣṇā (craving), teaching that bondage is sustained by desire while liberation is enabled by true knowledge; the Vaitaraṇī is used as a vivid symbol of the perilous passage created by attachment.
By condemning tṛṣṇā (self-centered craving) and praising liberating vidyā, it supports bhakti’s inner discipline: devotion becomes steady when desire-driven impulses are crossed over, and grace/merit is portrayed through the “rescue” motif common in tirtha-mahātmya narratives.
The verse is primarily philosophical rather than technical; it practically emphasizes viveka (discernment) and ethical self-governance—foundational to Dharma—rather than a specific Vedanga like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa.