Shloka 8
कृपकृपी-जननम्
The Birth of Kṛpa and Kṛpī; Kṛpa’s Attainment of Astras
वैशम्पायन उवाच पाण्डुरुत्थाय सहसा गन्तुकामो महर्षिभि: । स्वर्गपारं तितीर्ष: स शतशूज्रादुदड्मुख:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन्! यह सुनकर महाराज पाण्डु भी महर्षियोंके साथ जानेके लिये सहसा उठ खड़े हुए। उनके मनमें स्वर्गके पार जानेकी इच्छा जाग उठी और वे उत्तरकी ओर मुँह करके अपनी दोनों पत्नियोंके साथ शतशंग पर्वतसे चल दिये। यह देख गिरिराज हिमालयके ऊपर-ऊपर उत्तराभिमुख यात्रा करनेवाले तपस्वी मुनियोंने कहा --
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: Pāṇḍur utthāya sahasā gantukāmo maharṣibhiḥ | svargapāraṃ titīrṣaḥ sa śataśṛṅgād udanmukhaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: O King, on hearing this, Mahārāja Pāṇḍu at once rose, eager to depart together with the great seers. A longing awakened in him to cross beyond the realm of heaven; facing north, he set out from Mount Śataśṛṅga. Seeing this, the ascetic sages who were journeying northward along the heights of the Himalaya spoke.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a turn from royal life toward a higher spiritual aim: the impulse to 'cross beyond heaven' suggests that even celestial reward is not the final goal, and that association with sages and a northward (uttarāyaṇa) ascent symbolizes disciplined striving toward transcendence.
After hearing prior events, King Pāṇḍu abruptly rises, eager to go with the great seers. Facing north, he departs from Mount Śataśṛṅga toward the Himalayan heights; observing his movement, the ascetic sages traveling northward begin to speak.