Shloka 31
Sārasvata–Dadhīca Upākhyāna at Sarasvatī Tīrtha
Balarāma’s Pilgrimage Context
दर्श च पौर्णमासं च ये यजन्ति तपोधना: । तेभ्य: स ददृशे धीमॉल्लोकेभ्य: पशूयाजिनाम्
darśaṃ ca paurṇamāsaṃ ca ye yajanti tapodhanāḥ | tebhyaḥ sa dadṛśe dhīmāḻ loke bhyaḥ paśūyājinām ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Those ascetics rich in austerity who perform the Darśa and Paurṇamāsa rites were seen by that wise one as belonging to higher worlds; from there, they appeared to proceed onward to the worlds of those who perform animal-sacrifices (Paśuyāga).
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links specific Vedic rites to corresponding posthumous realms, implying that disciplined, regular sacrifices like Darśa and Paurṇamāsa yield elevated destinations, and that different sacrificial modes (including animal offerings) are associated with distinct worlds—highlighting karma, ritual responsibility, and graded religious merit.
In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a wise observer is described as seeing (or discerning) the destinations of ritual performers: ascetics devoted to the Darśa and Paurṇamāsa rites are perceived as reaching higher worlds, and from there the scene shifts to the worlds of those who conduct animal-sacrifices.