Puṣkara-Tīrtha-Māhātmya and the Phala of Pilgrimage
Nārada–Yudhiṣṭhira; Pulastya–Bhīṣma Transmission
वन॑ तु तदभूत् तेन हीनमक्लिष्टकर्मणा । कुबेरेण यथा हीन वन चैत्ररथं तथा,अनायास ही महान् कर्म करनेवाले अर्जुनके बिना वह वन उसी प्रकार शोभाशून्य-सा हो गया, जैसे कुबेरके बिना चैत्ररथ वन
vanaṁ tu tad abhūt tena hīnam akliṣṭa-karmāṇā | kuberaṇa yathā hīnaṁ vanaṁ caitrarathaṁ tathā ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Aquel bosque, privado de él—incansable ejecutor de hazañas—quedó como despojado de su esplendor. Así como el bosque de Caitraratha parecería menguado sin Kubera, así también el bosque se veía vacío y sin belleza sin Arjuna».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse teaches that excellence in character and steadfast action (‘akliṣṭa-karmā’) has a sustaining, beautifying effect on the world; when such a person is absent, even a naturally splendid place feels diminished—highlighting the ethical value of responsible presence and service.
The narrator describes the forest’s changed atmosphere after Arjuna is no longer there: it seems bereft and less radiant, likened to Kubera’s celebrated Caitraratha grove if Kubera himself were absent.