Shloka 10
युधिष्ठिरप्रश्नः—विश्वामित्रस्य ब्राह्मणत्वकौतूहलम् | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry on Viśvāmitra’s Attainment of Brāhmaṇya
विश्वामित्रस्यथ विपुला नदी देवर्षिसेविता । कौशिकी च शिवा पुण्या ब्रद्मर्षिसुरसेविता
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | Viśvāmitrasyaiva vipulā nadī devarṣi-sevitā | Kauśikī ca śivā puṇyā brahmarṣi-sura-sevitā ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Sungai yang lebar itu, yang dilayani para resi ilahi, sungguh milik Viśvāmitra; itulah Kauśikī—membawa berkah dan suci—dihormati para brahmarṣi dan para dewa. Dikatakan sungai itu menjelma oleh daya tapa rohani Viśvāmitra sendiri.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how spiritual discipline and sanctity (tapas and puṇya) are understood to shape the world: a sacred river is revered because it is connected with a great ṛṣi’s power and is honoured by seers and gods, reinforcing reverence for holy places and the ethical value of ascetic merit.
Yudhiṣṭhira identifies and praises the Kauśikī river, describing it as vast, holy, and auspicious, attended by divine and brahma seers and by the gods, and associating its manifestation and fame with the influence of the sage Viśvāmitra.