Shloka 78
युधिष्ठिरस्य अर्जुनप्रेषण-युक्तिवर्णनम् | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rationale for Sending Arjuna and Request to Dhaumya
ततो वाराणसी गत्वा अर्चयित्वा वृषध्वजम् । कपिलाहवदे नर: स्नात्वा राजसूयमवाप्रुयात्
tato vārāṇasīṃ gatvā arcayitvā vṛṣadhvajam | kapilāhrade naraḥ snātvā rājasūyam avāpnuyāt ||
Ensuite, s’étant rendu à Vārāṇasī, qu’on adore le Seigneur Śiva, celui dont l’emblème est le taureau. Après s’être baigné là dans le lac Kapilā, on dit que l’homme obtient un mérite équivalent au sacrifice du Rājasūya.
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes that devotion to Śiva and disciplined tīrtha-practice (worship and sacred bathing) can yield exalted merit comparable to grand royal sacrifices, highlighting accessible paths of dharma through faith and purity.
The speaker describes a specific pilgrimage sequence: go to Vārāṇasī, worship Śiva (Vṛṣadhvaja), and bathe in Kapilā-hrada; the promised result is the merit of the Rājasūya sacrifice.