Shloka 15
Jarāsandha–Bhīma Niyuddha-prastāvaḥ
Commencement of the Regulated Duel
बाद्रथै: पूज्यमानं तथा नगरवासिभि: | मगधानां सुरुचिरं चैत्यकान्तं समाद्रवन्,वहाँ अधिकाधिक उत्सव होते रहते थे। कोई भी उसको जीत नहीं सकता था। ऐसे गिरिव्रजके निकट वे तीनों जा पहुँचे। वे मुख्य फाटकपर न जाकर नगरके चैत्यक नामक ऊँचे पर्वतपर चले गये। उस नगरमें निवास करनेवाले मनुष्य तथा बृहद्रथ-परिवारके लोग उस पर्वतकी पूजा किया करते थे। मगधदेशकी प्रजाको यह चैत्यक पर्वत बहुत ही प्रिय था
vaiśampāyana uvāca | bādrathaiḥ pūjyamānaṃ tathā nagaravāsibhiḥ | magadhānāṃ suruciraṃ caityakāntaṃ samādravan |
Vaiśampāyana said: Honoured by the descendants of Bṛhadratha and likewise by the city-dwellers, the splendid Caityaka hill—dear to the people of Magadha—was approached with reverence.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and cultural force of shared reverence: when a community honours a sacred place, that site embodies collective memory, legitimacy, and identity. Respecting such spaces signals humility and awareness of local dharma and tradition.
Vaiśampāyana describes the travellers nearing Girivraja and going not to the main gate but to the elevated Caityaka hill, a revered landmark worshipped by the Bṛhadratha lineage and the city’s residents, and beloved by the people of Magadha.