Shloka 38
Saptasārasvata-tīrtha-prasaṅgaḥ | The Saptasārasvata Pilgrimage Account and the Maṅkaṇaka Narrative
निवृत्तां तां सरिच्छेष्ठां तत्र दृष्टवा तु लाड़ली । बभूव विस्मितो राजन् बल: श्वेतानुलेपन:
nivṛttāṃ tāṃ saricchreṣṭhāṃ tatra dṛṣṭvā tu lāḍalī | babhūva vismito rājan balaḥ śvetānulepanaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: O King, when Balarāma—his body anointed with white sandal paste—beheld there that foremost of rivers, Sarasvatī, which had turned back toward the eastern quarter to grant audience to the great sages of Naimiṣāraṇya, he was struck with wonder. The scene underscores reverence for sacred places and the power of ascetic merit: even nature is portrayed as responding to the presence and spiritual authority of the ṛṣis.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the sanctity of sages and sacred places: the presence and merit of ṛṣis are depicted as so potent that even a revered river is imagined as turning back to honor them. Ethically, it reinforces humility and reverence toward spiritual discipline and tīrthas.
Balarāma arrives and sees the foremost river Sarasvatī, described as having turned back toward the east to meet the great sages dwelling in Naimiṣāraṇya. On witnessing this extraordinary sight, he becomes amazed.