Shloka 4
Sarasvatī-Śāpavimokṣa, Rākṣasa-Mokṣa, and Aruṇā-Tīrtha
Indra–Namuci Expiation
आश्रमो वै वसिष्ठस्य स्थाणुतीर्थेडभवन्महान् । पूर्वतः पार्श्वतश्चासीद् विश्वामित्रस्य धीमत:,सरस्वतीके स्थाणुतीर्थमें पूर्वतटपर वसिष्ठका बहुत बड़ा आश्रम था और पश्चिमतटपर बुद्धिमान विश्वामित्र मुनिका आश्रम बना हुआ था
āśramo vai vasiṣṭhasya sthāṇutīrthe ’bhavan mahān | pūrvataḥ pārśvataś cāsīd viśvāmitrasya dhīmataḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: At Sthāṇutīrtha on the Sarasvatī there stood the great hermitage of Vasiṣṭha on the eastern bank; and on the opposite side, to the west, was the hermitage of the wise Viśvāmitra. The scene quietly frames two eminent sages in close proximity, hinting at the moral weight of ascetic power, restraint, and the long memory of rivalry transformed by spiritual striving.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical and spiritual significance of tīrthas and āśramas: sacred places are not merely locations but settings where tapas, restraint, and dharma are cultivated. By placing Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra on opposite banks, it also evokes the idea that greatness is tested in proximity—through self-control, humility, and the transformation of rivalry into higher spiritual pursuit.
Vaiśampāyana describes the geography at Sthāṇutīrtha on the Sarasvatī: Vasiṣṭha’s large hermitage lies on the eastern bank, while the wise Viśvāmitra’s hermitage is situated on the western/opposite side. This sets the stage for events connected with these sages and the sanctity of the place.