Shloka 16
स््नात्वा तत्र च धर्मात्मा परां प्रीतिमवाप्य च । ऋषिभिश्नैव सिद्धैश्न सहितो वै महाबल:
snātvā tatra ca dharmātmā parāṃ prītim avāpya ca | ṛṣibhiś caiva siddhaiś ca sahito vai mahābalaḥ ||
Having bathed there, the righteous-souled and mighty one attained profound joy; and he remained in the company of seers and perfected beings (siddhas). The verse underscores how inner purity and a dharmic disposition naturally draw one toward holy fellowship and deep contentment, even amid the larger turmoil of the war narrative.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links outward purification (bathing/ritual cleansing) with inward dharmic character: when one is dharmātmā, purity of conduct and mind yields deep contentment (parā prīti) and leads naturally to the company of the wise (ṛṣis) and the spiritually accomplished (siddhas).
Vaiśampāyana narrates that the mighty, righteous figure bathes at that sacred spot, experiences profound joy, and is then found in the presence of sages and siddhas—marking a moment of sanctification and uplift within the broader Shalya Parva war narrative.