Shloka 143

युधिष्ठिरस्य अर्जुनप्रेषण-युक्तिवर्णनम् | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rationale for Sending Arjuna and Request to Dhaumya

Devanagari script

यत्र सिद्धि परां प्राप्तो विश्वामित्रो5$थ कौशिक: । तत्र मासं वसेद्‌ वीर कौशिक्यां भरतर्षभ

Transliteration

yatra siddhiṁ parāṁ prāpto viśvāmitro ’tha kauśikaḥ | tatra māsaṁ vased vīra kauśikyāṁ bharatarṣabha rājendra |

Translation

Ghūlastya said: “O heroic king, bull among the Bharatas! At the very place where Viśvāmitra—the son of Kuśika—attained supreme spiritual accomplishment, you should dwell for a month on the bank of the Kauśikī. This disciplined stay at the sacred ford is prescribed as a means of purification and merit, following the example of the sage’s achieved perfection.”

Word by Word

• {'yatra': 'where', 'siddhi': 'spiritual attainment

• perfection', 'parām': 'supreme

• highest', 'prāptaḥ': 'having attained

• obtained', 'viśvāmitraḥ': 'Viśvāmitra (the sage)', 'kauśikaḥ': 'descendant/son of Kuśika

• epithet of Viśvāmitra', 'tatra': 'there

• in that place', 'māsam': 'for a month', 'vaset': 'should dwell

• should reside', 'vīra': 'hero

• valiant one', 'kauśikyām': 'at/near the Kauśikī (river/holy place)', 'bharatarṣabha': 'bull among the Bharatas

• best of the Bharata lineage', 'rājendra': 'lord of kings

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Ghūlastya
• Viśvāmitra
• Kuśika
• Kauśikī (river/holy place)
• Bharata lineage (Bharatarṣabha)
• King (Rājendra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that disciplined residence at a sacred place (tīrtha-vāsa), especially one sanctified by a great sage’s attainment, is a dharmic practice that supports purification, self-restraint, and the accumulation of merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

A guide/speaker (Ghūlastya) directs the king to go to the site associated with Viśvāmitra’s supreme accomplishment and to stay there for one month on the bank of the Kauśikī, as part of a prescribed pilgrimage itinerary.