Shloka 42
कुमाराभिषेकप्रश्नः — Inquiry into Kumāra (Skanda) Investiture at Sarasvatī
इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत शल्यपर्वके अन्तर्गत गदापव॑नें बलदेवजीकी तीर्थयात्राके प्रसंगमें सारस्वतोपाख्यानविषयक बयालीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ
śakra! maharṣibhir asyā aruṇāyāḥ jalaṃ parama-pavitraṃ kṛtam. asmin tīrthe pūrvam eva gupta-rūpeṇa tasyā āgamanam abhavat; tataḥ sarasvatī samīpam āgatya aruṇā-devīṃ svajalena āplāvitavatī. sarasvatyā aruṇāyāś ca puṇyo 'yaṃ saṅgamo mahān | iha tvaṃ yaja devendra dada dānāny anekaśaḥ ||
“Wahai Śakra, para maharṣi telah menjadikan air Aruṇā ini amat suci. Di tīrtha ini kedatangannya telah lebih dahulu terjadi secara tersembunyi; kemudian Sarasvatī mendekat dan membanjiri dewi Aruṇā dengan airnya sendiri. Inilah pertemuan suci yang agung antara Sarasvatī dan Aruṇā. Di sini, wahai raja para dewa, lakukan pemujaan dan berikan banyak derma.”
वसिष्ठ उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sacred places become especially purifying through the presence and austerity of sages; one should respond to such sanctity with worship (yajña) and generosity (dāna), turning reverence into ethical action.
Vasiṣṭha addresses Indra, explaining that the Aruṇā’s waters have been made supremely holy by sages and that Sarasvatī has joined and inundated Aruṇā, creating a powerful confluence-tīrtha; he urges Indra to worship there and give abundant gifts.