Shloka 29
Ārṣṭiṣeṇa’s Siddhi and the Tīrtha-Boons; Sindhudvīpa–Devāpi Brāhmaṇya; Viśvāmitra’s Tapas Begins
ततः सर्वानुपादाय तनयान् वै महातपा: । रुषड्गुरब्रवीत् तत्र नयध्वं मां पृूधूदकम्,भारत! बूढ़े ब्राह्मण रुषंगु सदा तपस्यामें संल्गन रहते थे। एक समय उन महातपस्वी रुषंगु मुनिने शरीर त्याग देनेका विचार करके बहुत कुछ सोचकर अपने सभी पुत्रोंको बुलाया और उनसे कहा--'मुझे पृथूदक तीर्थमें ले चलो"
tataḥ sarvān upādāya tanayān vai mahātapāḥ | ruṣaṅgur abravīt tatra nayadhvaṁ māṁ pṛthūdakam, bhārata |
Then the great ascetic Ruṣaṅgu, having gathered all his sons, spoke to them there: “O Bhārata, take me to Pṛthūdaka.” The verse frames an elder’s deliberate, dharma-guided preparation for the end of life—seeking a sacred place and the support of family, not out of despair, but as a disciplined, reflective transition.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharmic preparation for life’s final transition: an ascetic seeks a tīrtha and relies on rightful familial support, implying that caring for elders and assisting their religious aims is a duty (dharma) of the children.
Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that the sage Ruṣaṅgu gathers his sons and instructs them to take him to the sacred place Pṛthūdaka, indicating his intention to proceed toward a spiritually appropriate end.