शवं दृष्ट्वा च तैर्न्यस्तं संवर्तो वै न्यवर्तत । क्षुत्परीतोऽपि तं ज्ञात्वा ययुस्तमनु शीघ्रगम्
śavaṃ dṛṣṭvā ca tairnyastaṃ saṃvarto vai nyavartata | kṣutparīto'pi taṃ jñātvā yayustamanu śīghragam
Voyant le cadavre qu’ils avaient déposé là, Saṃvarta se retourna en vérité. Bien qu’accablés par la faim, ils le reconnurent et, tandis qu’il allait d’un pas rapide, ils se hâtèrent de le suivre.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced)
Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
Type: kshetra
Scene: On a road near Kāśī, the seekers place a corpse as a deliberate obstacle; Saṃvarta, seeing it, abruptly turns back. The seekers—though hungry and strained—recognize him and rush after his swift stride.
Restraint and purity of conduct remain firm even under bodily pressure (like hunger)—a mark of spiritual attainment.
Kāśī/Vārāṇasī continues as the sanctified environment for this test and encounter.
No rite; it narrates an observational test to confirm identity.