Shloka 96
Agastya–Lopāmudrā: Marriage, Austerity, and Conditions for Conjugal Union (लोमशकथितम्)
वानीरमालिनी रम्या नदी पुलिनशोभिता । जहाँ गयशिर नामक पर्वत और बेंतकी पंक्तियोंसे घिरी हुई रमणीय महानदी है, जो अपने दोनों तटोंसे विशेष शोभा पाती है
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | vaṇīramālinī ramyā nadī pulinaśobhitā | yatra gayaśira-nāmakaḥ parvataḥ, veṇṭakī-paṅkti-parivṛtā ca ramyā mahānadī ubhayataṭaviśeṣaśobhā ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “There is a delightful great river, adorned with garlands of reeds and beautified by its sandy banks. There stands the mountain called Gayaśiras, and the charming river—encircled by rows of canes—shines with a special splendor on both its shores.”
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds sacred geography and the moral-aesthetic value of tīrtha-like landscapes: purity, serenity, and natural order are presented as conducive to reflection and dharmic orientation, even before any explicit instruction is given.
The narrator Vaiśaṃpāyana describes a beautiful region: a great river bordered by sandy banks and reed/cane rows, with the mountain named Gayaśiras nearby—setting the scene for events or travel within the forest-episode context.