Shloka 8

आदि पर्व — खाण्डवदाह प्रसङ्गः: पावकस्य याचनं तथा इन्द्रवर्षनिवारणोपायः

Adi Parva — Khāṇḍava episode: Agni’s request and the means to resist Indra’s rain

Devanagari script

वैशम्पायन उवाच तेषां भ्रुत्वा महाबाहुर्वार्यमाणस्तपो धनै: । जगाम तानि तीर्थानि द्रष्टू पुरुषसत्तम:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--उनकी बातें सुनकर कुरुश्रेष्ठ महाबाहु अर्जुन उन तपोधनोंके मना करनेपर भी उन तीर्थोंका दर्शन करनेके लिये गये

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca teṣāṃ śrutvā mahābāhur vāryamāṇas tapodhanaiḥ | jagāma tāni tīrthāni draṣṭuṃ puruṣasattamaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Hearing their words, the mighty-armed Arjuna—though dissuaded by those rich in ascetic merit—went to behold those sacred fords. Thus the best of men chose direct encounter with holy places, valuing lived discipline and purification over mere counsel.

Word by Word

वैशम्पायनःVaiśampāyana

उवाचsaid

तेषाम्of them

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

महाबाहुःthe mighty-armed (one)

वार्यमाणःbeing restrained / being dissuaded

तपो-धनैःby the ascetics (whose wealth is austerity)

जगामwent

तानिthose

तीर्थानिpilgrimage-places / sacred fords

द्रष्टुम्to see

पुरुष-सत्तमःthe best of men

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Arjuna

tapodhanas (ascetics)

tīrthas (pilgrimage sites)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical value of seeking purification and insight through direct engagement with sacred disciplines (tīrtha-darśana), even when respected ascetics advise restraint—suggesting that sincere spiritual effort and personal resolve can be a legitimate dharmic choice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna, despite being dissuaded by ascetics (tapodhanas), proceeds to visit and behold various tīrthas, marking a movement into a pilgrimage episode.