Shloka 17
Indratīrtha–Ādityatīrtha: Balarāma’s Ritual Bathing, Dāna, and Sacred-Historical Recollections
आमन्त्रयतां तु कल्याणीं ततो जप्यं जजाप सः । अविदूरे ततस्तस्मादाश्रमात् तीर्थमुत्तमम्
āmantreyatāṁ tu kalyāṇīṁ tato japyaṁ jajāpa saḥ | avidūre tataḥ tasmād āśramāt tīrtham uttamam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Having first addressed the auspicious lady Kalyāṇī, he then began to recite the prescribed sacred formula. Not far from that hermitage there was an excellent holy ford; he went there, bathed, and continued his japa—acting with restraint and ritual propriety, and showing that spiritual discipline and purity of conduct accompany even extraordinary deeds.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic discipline: respectful speech, ritual bathing, and mantra-recitation (japa) are presented as integral to right conduct, emphasizing inner restraint and purity alongside outward action.
After addressing Kalyāṇī, the speaker/actor begins japa. He then goes to a nearby sacred tīrtha, bathes, and continues the recitation, situating the episode in a hermitage-and-pilgrimage setting.