Shloka 1
Saptasārasvata-tīrtha-prasaṅgaḥ | The Saptasārasvata Pilgrimage Account and the Maṅkaṇaka Narrative
ऑपन--माजल छा जज सप्तत्रिशो5 ध्याय: विनशन
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: tato vinaśanaṃ rājan jagāmātha halāyudhaḥ | śūdrābhīrān prati dveṣād yatra naṣṭā sarasvatī ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then, O king, Halāyudha (Balarāma) went to Vinaśana—the place where the river Sarasvatī disappears—moved by aversion toward the Śūdras and Ābhīras. The verse frames his pilgrimage as both a sacred journey and a morally charged withdrawal from social conflict, highlighting how inner dispositions (like hatred) can accompany even outwardly religious acts.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse suggests that sacred action (pilgrimage to a tīrtha) does not automatically purify one’s motive: inner dispositions like dveṣa (aversion/hatred) can accompany religious conduct. It invites reflection on aligning outward dharmic practice with inward ethical intention.
Vaiśampāyana narrates that Balarāma (Halāyudha) proceeds to the tīrtha called Vinaśana, identified as the place where the Sarasvatī ‘disappears.’ His movement is linked to hostility toward the Śūdras and Ābhīras, indicating a socially charged context behind his journey.