Shloka 23
Avanti–Narmadā–Puṣkara Tīrtha-Kathana (धौम्यकथितं तीर्थवर्णनम्)
यत्र भागीरथी पुण्या सरस्यासीद् युधिष्ठिर । यत्र सा ब्रह्मशालेति पुण्या ख्याता विशाम्पते
yatra bhāgīrathī puṇyā sarasyāsīd yudhiṣṭhira | yatra sā brahmaśāleti puṇyā khyātā viśāmpate ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O Yudhiṣṭhira, there was a sacred lake where the holy Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā) was present—there, that place was renowned among men as the meritorious ‘Brahmaśālā.’”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharmic value of tīrthas: places associated with sacred waters like the Gaṅgā are remembered as sources of puṇya, encouraging reverence, purity of conduct, and mindful pilgrimage rather than mere travel.
Vaiśampāyana is describing to Yudhiṣṭhira a particular holy location: a lake connected with the Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā), famed among people by the name ‘Brahmaśālā,’ as part of a broader account of sacred places and their renown.