Shloka 62
Saptasārasvata-tīrtha-prasaṅgaḥ | The Saptasārasvata Pilgrimage Account and the Maṅkaṇaka Narrative
कड्कोलैश्न पलाशैश्व करीरै: पीलुभिस्तथा । सरस्वतीतीर्थरुहैस्तरुभिविविधैस्तथा
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: kaṅkolaiś ca palāśaiś ca karīraiḥ pīlubhis tathā | sarasvatī-tīrtha-ruhais tarubhir vividhaiḥ tathā ||
Vaiśampāyana said: That sacred region on the Sarasvatī was adorned with many kinds of trees—kankola, palāśa, karīra, and pīlu, along with diverse trees growing around the river’s fords. Thereafter Baladeva, the wielder of the plough, arrived at the tīrtha called Saptasārasvata, regarded as the foremost among the Sarasvatī’s holy places. Many communities of brāhmaṇas dwelt there. The place was charming to behold and captivating to the mind, beautified by groves and varied vegetation along the riverbank. Numerous forest-dwelling ascetics lived there—subsisting on air, water, fruits, and leaves, chewing what they ate, using their teeth as a mortar, and eating fruits cracked open on stones. The deep sound of Vedic recitation resounded, herds of deer spread in every direction, and people devoted to non-violence and dharma frequented the tīrtha. It was there that the accomplished great sage Maṅkaṇaka had performed severe austerities.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage elevates tīrtha-life as a lived ethic: non-violence (ahiṃsā), disciplined simplicity (vānaprastha austerity), and the sustaining power of Vedic study (svādhyāya). Sacred places are portrayed not merely as locations but as communities where dharma is practiced through restraint, learning, and harmlessness.
After describing the vegetation and sanctity of the Sarasvatī’s river-fords, the narrator states that Baladeva arrives at the renowned Saptasārasvata tīrtha. The scene is set with brāhmaṇa settlements, ascetics living on minimal forest fare, resonant Vedic recitation, abundant wildlife, and the memory of the sage Maṅkaṇaka’s great austerities performed there.