Shloka 48

Saptasārasvata-tīrtha-prasaṅgaḥ | The Saptasārasvata Pilgrimage Account and the Maṅkaṇaka Narrative

Devanagari script

वालखिल्या महाराज अभ्मकुद्टाश्न तापसा: | दन्तोलूखलिन श्चान्ये प्रसंख्यानास्तथा परे

Transliteration

vālakhilyā mahārāja abhramakuṭṭāś ca tāpasāḥ | dantolūkhalinaś cānye prasaṅkhyānās tathā pare ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Oh Rey, allí había ascetas: sabios renombrados como los Vālakhilyas, los Abhramakuṭṭas y otros llamados Dantolūkhalins; y también otros conocidos como Prasaṅkhyānas. Por sus severos votos y su modo de vida disciplinado, engalanaban la región sagrada junto al Sarasvatī, encarnando el ideal de que la contención interior y la austeridad dan esplendor a los lugares santos.»

Word by Word

• वालखिल्याः: Vālakhilya sages
• वालखिल्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वालखिल्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अभ्मकुट्टाः: Abhmakutṭa ascetics (a class of tapasvins)
• अभ्मकुट्टाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभ्मकुट्ट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अश्नन्: they eat
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada, Indicative

• तापसाः: ascetics
• तापसाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दन्तोलूखलिनः: those who use teeth as a mortar (austerity-practitioners)
• दन्तोलूखलिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्तोलूखलिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रसंख्यानाः: Prasaṅkhyāna sages (a class of ascetics)
• प्रसंख्यानाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रसंख्यान
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• परे: others (further ones)
• परे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Mahārāja (the king addressed, i.e., Janamejaya in the frame narrative)
• Vālakhilyas
• Abhramakuṭṭas
• Dantolūkhalins
• Prasaṅkhyānas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dharmic ideal that disciplined austerity (tapas) and strict vows are themselves a form of ethical excellence, and that such self-restraint sanctifies and beautifies holy places.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing the presence of many renowned groups of ascetics gathered near the sacred setting (contextually associated with the Sarasvatī), listing their names to emphasize the site’s holiness and the gravity of the occasion.