Shloka 136
Agastya–Lopāmudrā: Marriage, Austerity, and Conditions for Conjugal Union (लोमशकथितम्)
ऋषियज्ञेन महता यत्राक्षयवटो महान् । पिनाकपाणि भगवान् महादेव उस तीर्थमें नित्य निवास करते हैं। वहाँ वीर पाण्डवोंने उन दिनों चातुर्मास्यव्रत ग्रहण करके महान् ऋषियज्ञ अर्थात् वेदादि सतशास्त्रोंके स्वाध्यायद्वारा भगवान्की आराधना की। वहीं महान् अक्षयवट है
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | ṛṣiyajñena mahatā yatrākṣayavaṭo mahān | pinākapāṇi bhagavān mahādevaḥ tatra tīrthe nityaṃ nivāsati |
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: In that sacred ford, where the great Akṣayavaṭa—the “imperishable banyan”—stands, the Blessed Lord Mahādeva, bearer of the Pināka bow, dwells perpetually. There, in those days, the heroic Pāṇḍavas undertook the Cāturmāsya vow and worshipped the Lord through a great ‘ṛṣi-yajña’—the disciplined study and recitation of the Vedas and other true scriptures—honouring sacred learning as an offering rather than seeking worldly gain.
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage elevates svādhyāya (disciplined study of sacred truth) as a genuine yajña—an ethical offering that purifies the mind, strengthens restraint, and aligns one’s life with dharma, especially during periods of hardship.
At a tīrtha marked by the great Akṣayavaṭa, where Śiva is said to dwell, the Pāṇḍavas observe the Cāturmāsya vow and perform a ‘ṛṣi-yajña’ by worshipping through Vedic and śāstric study/recitation.