Shloka 10
अध्याय ९० — लोमशोपदेशः तथा तीर्थयात्रानिश्चयः
Lomaśa’s Counsel and the Resolve for Pilgrimage
सरस्वती नदी सद्धि: सततं पार्थ पूजिता । बालखिल्यैर्महाराज यत्रेष्टमृषिभि: पुरा,कुन्तीनन्दन! साधु पुरुषोंने सरस्वती नदीकी सदा उपासना की है। महाराज! पूर्वकालमें बालखिल्य ऋषियोंने वहाँ यज्ञ किया था
sarasvatī nadī siddhiḥ satataṃ pārtha pūjitā | bālakhilyair mahārāja yatreṣṭam ṛṣibhiḥ purā ||
Dhaumya berkata: “Wahai Pārtha, sungai Sarasvatī senantiasa dihormati sebagai pemberi kesempurnaan rohani. Wahai Raja, pada zaman dahulu para resi Bālakhilya melaksanakan upacara kurban suci di sana. Karena itu, wahai putra Kuntī, orang-orang mulia selalu memuja Sarasvatī dengan penuh hormat.”
धौम्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sacred places gain authority through continuous reverence and the exemplary conduct of sages; honoring such a tīrtha—here, the Sarasvatī—supports spiritual attainment (siddhi) and aligns one with dharmic tradition.
Dhaumya instructs the Pāṇḍava (addressed as Pārtha/Kuntīnandana) by praising the Sarasvatī as a perpetually revered river and citing precedent: the ancient Bālakhilya sages performed sacrifices there, establishing it as a powerful and respected sacred site.