Shloka 32
Ārṣṭiṣeṇa’s Siddhi and the Tīrtha-Boons; Sindhudvīpa–Devāpi Brāhmaṇya; Viśvāmitra’s Tapas Begins
स तत्र विधिना राजजन्नाप्लुत्य सुमहातपा: । ज्ञात्वा तीर्थगुणांश्वैव प्राहेदमृषिसत्तम:
sa tatra vidhinā rājajan nāplutya sumahātapāḥ | jñātvā tīrthaguṇāṃś caiva prāhedam ṛṣisattamaḥ ||
There, the mighty ascetic duly performed the prescribed rite of bathing at the royal ford. Having understood the merits and special qualities of that sacred crossing-place, the best of sages then spoke these words—framing his counsel in the language of ritual propriety and the ethical power of tīrthas to purify and guide conduct even amid the harshness of war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that sacred acts are not merely symbolic: when performed 'vidhinā' (according to proper rule), they cultivate inner discipline and moral clarity. Knowing the 'tīrtha-guṇas' implies discerning how places and rites are meant to support dharma—purifying intention and guiding right speech and action.
The narrator describes a great ascetic/sage arriving at a sacred ford, bathing there in the prescribed manner, understanding the spiritual merits of that tīrtha, and then beginning to speak—setting up the next passage of counsel or narration.