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Shloka 1

Ārṣṭiṣeṇa’s Siddhi and the Tīrtha-Boons; Sindhudvīpa–Devāpi Brāhmaṇya; Viśvāmitra’s Tapas Begins

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमहाभारत शल्यपर्वके अन्तर्गत गदापव॑नें बलदेवजीकी तीर्थयात्राके प्रसंगमें सारस्वतोपाख्यानविषयक अड़तीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ ॥/ ३८ ॥। (दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठके ५६ श्लोक मिलाकर कुल ६४ ३ “लोक हैं।) - इन्हीं ऋषियोंकी तपस्यासे कल्पान्तरमें दितिके गर्भले उनचास मरुदगणोंका आविर्भाव हुआ। ये ही दितिके उदरमें एक गर्भके रूपमें प्रकट हुए, फिर इन्द्रके वज़्से कटकर उनचास अमर शरीरोंके रूपमें उत्पन्न हुए--ऐसा समझना चाहिये। एकोनचत्वारिशोड ध्याय: आओऔशनस एवं कपालमोचनतीर्थकी माहात्म्यकथा तथा रुषंगुके आश्रम पृथूदकतीर्थकी महिमा वैशम्पायन उवाच उषित्वा तत्र रामस्तु सम्पूज्याश्रमवासिन: । तथा मड़कणके प्रीति शुभां चक्रे हलायुध:,वैशम्पायनजी कहते हैं--राजन! उस सप्तसारस्वत-तीर्थमें रहकर हलधर बलरामजीने आश्रमवासी ऋषियोंका पूजन किया और मंकणक मुनिपर अपनी उत्तम प्रीतिका परिचय दिया

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | uṣitvā tatra rāmas tu sampūjyāśramavāsinaḥ | tathā maṅkaṇakasya prītiṁ śubhāṁ cakre halāyudhaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: O King, after staying there (at that sacred Sarasvatī-region tīrtha), Rāma (Balarāma), the wielder of the plough, duly honored the sages dwelling in the hermitage and also showed auspicious goodwill and affectionate regard toward the sage Maṅkaṇaka. The verse frames Balarāma’s pilgrimage as an ethical act of reverence—strength expressed not through violence but through humility, hospitality, and honoring ascetic merit.

Word by Word

उषित्वाhaving stayed/dwelt

तत्रthere

रामःRama (Balarama)

तुindeed/but

सम्पूज्यhaving duly worshipped

आश्रमवासिनःthe residents of the hermitage

तथाand also/likewise

मङ्कणकेin/with regard to Mankana (the sage)

प्रीतिम्affection/favor

शुभाम्auspicious/excellent

चक्रेdid/made/showed

हलायुधःhe whose weapon is a plough (Balarama)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Rāma (Balarāma)

Halāyudha (epithet of Balarāma)

Maṅkaṇaka (sage)

Āśrama-vāsins (resident hermitage sages)

Sarasvatī tīrtha region (implied by context: Saptasārasvata)

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?

Power and prestige are to be guided by dharma: even a mighty figure like Balarāma expresses righteousness through honoring ascetics, cultivating goodwill, and recognizing spiritual merit in sacred spaces.

What is happening in the narrative?

During Balarāma’s tīrtha-yātrā, he stays at the Sarasvatī-region sacred site, pays formal respect to the hermitage-dwelling ṛṣis, and shows special auspicious affection toward the sage Maṅkaṇaka.