Shloka 20
Cyavana’s Reconciliation with Indra; Tīrtha-Indexing at Ārcīka-parvata and Yamunā
Chapter 125
इह नित्यशया देवा: पितरश्न महर्षिभि: । आर्चीकपर्वते तेपुस्तानू यजस्व युधिछिर,युधिष्ठिर! इस आर्चीक पर्वतपर नित्य निवास करते हुए महर्षियोंसहित जिन देवताओं और पितरोंने तपस्या की है, तुम उन सबकी पूजा करो
iha nityaśayā devāḥ pitaraś ca maharṣibhiḥ | ārcīkaparvate tepuḥ tānū yajāsva yudhiṣṭhira ||
Ici, sur le mont Ārcīka, les dieux et les Pitṛs, avec les grands voyants, demeurent depuis longtemps et y ont pratiqué les austérités. Aussi, ô Yudhiṣṭhira, rends-leur un culte à tous : honore la présence sacrée de ceux qui accomplirent ici le tapas et accorde-toi à la voie de la révérence et du dharma.
लोगमश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that sacred places are to be approached with reverence: one should honour gods, ancestors, and sages connected with the site. Worship here is an ethical act—cultivating humility, gratitude to forebears, and alignment with dharma through devotion and remembrance of tapas.
Lomaśa is guiding Yudhiṣṭhira during the forest pilgrimage, pointing out Mount Ārcīka as a place where gods, Pitṛs, and great seers performed austerities. He instructs Yudhiṣṭhira to worship them there, integrating the journey with ritual respect and moral discipline.