Shloka 17
Vāg-yuddha and Nimitta-darśana before the Gadāyuddha
Verbal Duel and Omens
प्रतीच्यभिमुखं देशं यथोद्दिष्टं सुतेन ते । दक्षिणेन सरस्वत्या: स्वयनं तीर्थमुत्तमम्
pratīcyabhimukhaṃ deśaṃ yathoddiṣṭaṃ sutena te | dakṣiṇena sarasvatyāḥ svayanaṃ tīrtham uttamam ||
Sañjaya dit : «(Ils marchèrent) vers la contrée tournée vers l’ouest, exactement comme ton fils l’avait indiqué, le long de la rive méridionale de la Sarasvatī, en direction de Svayana, le plus excellent des gués sacrés.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid warfare, the epic repeatedly frames movement and decision-making within a moral and ritual landscape: routes are chosen by counsel and intention, and the mention of a tīrtha underscores the enduring authority of sacred places and disciplined guidance over impulsive action.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the party moved westward as Duryodhana had directed, traveling along the southern side of the Sarasvatī toward the renowned pilgrimage ford called Svayana.