Shloka 5
सरस्वतीतीर्थानुक्रमः — बलरामस्य तीर्थयात्रा
Sarasvatī Tīrtha Itinerary — Balarāma’s Pilgrimage
जनमेजय उवाच उदपानं कथं ब्रह्मन् कथं च सुमहातपा: । पतित: कि च संत्यक्तो भ्रातृभ्यां द्विजसत्तम
janamejaya uvāca | udapānaṁ kathaṁ brahman kathaṁ ca sumahātapāḥ | patitaḥ kiṁ ca saṁtyakto bhrātṛbhyāṁ dvijasattama, etad ācakṣva me brahman śrotavyaṁ yadi manyase |
Janamejaya berkata: “Wahai Brahmana, bagaimana sumur itu menjadi sebuah tīrtha? Dan bagaimana sang pertapa agung itu jatuh ke dalamnya? Wahai yang terbaik di antara para dvija, mengapa ia ditinggalkan di sana oleh kedua saudaranya—apa sebabnya mereka meninggalkannya di dalam sumur lalu pulang? Wahai Brahmana, bila engkau menilai kisah ini patut didengar, mohon ceritakanlah kepadaku.”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical inquiry: how a place becomes sacred through extraordinary conduct, and how dharma can be upheld even under betrayal and abandonment. It highlights the value of seeking causes (hetu) behind actions and the power of tapas and yajña to transform adversity into sanctity.
King Janamejaya asks the Brahmin narrator to explain an episode: how a well became a tīrtha, how a great ascetic fell into it, why his two brothers abandoned him there, and how—despite being trapped—he managed to perform sacrifice and partake of Soma.