Shloka 21
Kapālamocana-tīrtha (Auśanasa) and Balarāma’s Sarasvatī Pilgrimage
आहूता सरितां श्रेष्ठा गययज्ञे सरस्वती । विशालां तु गयस्याहु#षय: संशितव्रता:,राजा गय गयदेशमें ही एक महान् यज्ञका अनुष्ठान कर रहे थे। उनके यज्ञमें भी सरिताओंमें श्रेष्ठ सरस्वतीका आवाहन किया गया था। कठोर व्रतका पालन करनेवाले महर्षि गयके यज्ञमें आयी हुई सरस्वतीको विशाला कहते हैं
āhūtā saritāṃ śreṣṭhā gayayajñe sarasvatī | viśālāṃ tu gayasyāhuḥ ṛṣayaḥ saṃśitavratāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: In King Gaya’s sacrifice, Sarasvatī—the foremost among rivers—was duly invoked. The sages of firm and disciplined vows declare that, in connection with Gaya, that very Sarasvatī is known by the name Viśālā.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the dharmic authority of disciplined sages and the sanctity of yajña: sacred realities (like a river’s revered name) are preserved and transmitted through ritual practice and the testimony of vow-bound seers.
Vaiśampāyana explains a tradition about Sarasvatī: when King Gaya performed a great sacrifice, Sarasvatī was invoked there, and the sages state that in that context she is known as Viśālā.