Shloka 51
आकाशे विद्रुमे पुण्ये प्रस्थे हिमवत: शुभे | अरुणां सरस्वती प्राप्य पपु: सस्नुश्चन ते जलम्,आकाशके नीचे हिमालयके शिखरकी सुन्दर, पवित्र एवं वृक्षरहित चौरस भूमिपर अरुणसलिला सरस्वतीके निकट जाकर उन सबने स्नान और जलपान किया
ākāśe vidrume puṇye prasthē himavataḥ śubhe | aruṇāṃ sarasvatīṃ prāpya papuḥ sasnuś ca te jalam ||
Sañjaya said: On the auspicious, sacred, tree-less plateau called Ākāśa-vidruma, on the fair heights of Himavat, they reached the reddish-flowing Sarasvatī. There they drank her waters and bathed—seeking refreshment and ritual purity amid their arduous journey in the shadow of war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid conflict, the epic repeatedly foregrounds practices of restraint and purification: approaching sacred waters, bathing, and drinking symbolize renewing strength while aligning oneself with dharma through cleanliness, reverence, and disciplined conduct.
Sañjaya reports that the group reached a holy, open plateau on the Himalayan heights, came to the reddish-flowing Sarasvatī, and there bathed and drank the water—an interlude of refreshment and ritual purification during their movement through sacred terrain.