Shloka 48
Saptasārasvata-tīrtha-prasaṅgaḥ | The Saptasārasvata Pilgrimage Account and the Maṅkaṇaka Narrative
वालखिल्या महाराज अभ्मकुद्टाश्न तापसा: | दन्तोलूखलिन श्चान्ये प्रसंख्यानास्तथा परे
vālakhilyā mahārāja abhramakuṭṭāś ca tāpasāḥ | dantolūkhalinaś cānye prasaṅkhyānās tathā pare ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O King, there were ascetics there—renowned sages such as the Vālakhilyas, the Abhramakuṭṭas, and others called the Dantolūkhalins; and also others known as the Prasaṅkhyānas. By their severe vows and disciplined modes of living, they adorned the sacred region by the Sarasvatī, embodying the ideal that inner restraint and austerity lend splendor to holy places.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharmic ideal that disciplined austerity (tapas) and strict vows are themselves a form of ethical excellence, and that such self-restraint sanctifies and beautifies holy places.
Vaiśampāyana is describing the presence of many renowned groups of ascetics gathered near the sacred setting (contextually associated with the Sarasvatī), listing their names to emphasize the site’s holiness and the gravity of the occasion.