Shloka 17
Lomaśa’s Arrival and Report on Arjuna’s Divine Astras (लोमशागमनम्—अर्जुनदिव्यास्त्रलाभवृत्तान्तः)
अप्यत्र संश्रयार्थाय प्रजापतिरथो जगौ । पुष्करेषु कुरुश्रेष्ठ गाथां सुकृतिनां वर,पुण्यवानोंमें प्रधान कुरुश्रेष्ठ! पुष्करमें निवास करनेके लिये प्रजापति ब्रह्माजीने एक गाथा गायी है, जो इस प्रकार है
apy atra saṁśrayārthāya prajāpatiḥ atho jagau | puṣkareṣu kuruśreṣṭha gāthāṁ sukṛtināṁ vara ||
«En verdad, para hallar refugio aquí, Prajāpati (Brahmā) cantó una vez una gāthā. Oh el mejor de los Kurus, en Puṣkara pronunció ese dicho excelso, celebrando a los más eminentes entre los meritorios.»
धौम्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sacred places like Puṣkara are portrayed as legitimate refuges for those seeking spiritual shelter; the verse frames residence/approach to a tīrtha as connected with merit (sukṛta) and dharmic aspiration.
Dhaumya introduces an authoritative saying: he tells the addressed Kuru prince that Prajāpati (Brahmā) once recited a gāthā at Puṣkara, setting up a quotation that will praise the meritorious and explain the sanctity of the place.