Shloka 10
तीर्थयात्रा: सागरतीर्थ-शूर्पारक-प्रभासगमनम्
Pilgrimage to Sea Tīrthas, Śūrpāraka, and Prabhāsa
स तत्र तामग्रयधनुर्धरस्य वेदीं ददर्शायतपीनबाहु: । ऋचीकपुत्रस्थ तपस्विसड्चै: समावृतां पुण्यकृदर्चनीयाम्,लम्बी और मोटी भुजाओंवाले युधिष्ठिरने उस वनमें धनुर्धरशिरोमणि ऋचीकवंशी परशुरामजीकी वेदी देखी, जो पुण्यात्मा पुरुषोंके लिये पूजनीय थी तथा तपस्वियोंके समुदाय उसे सदा घेरे रहते थे
sa tatra tām agrya-dhanurdharasya vedīṁ dadarśāyata-pīna-bāhuḥ | ṛcīka-putrasya tapasvi-saṅghaiḥ samāvṛtāṁ puṇya-kṛd-arcaniyām ||
Vaiśampāyana said: There, Yudhiṣṭhira—broad-shouldered and strong-armed—beheld the sacred altar of the foremost of bowmen, Paraśurāma, the descendant of Ṛcīka. Revered by the righteous as an object of worship, it was continually surrounded by assemblies of ascetics, marking the forest as a place where spiritual merit and disciplined conduct prevail over mere martial power.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical primacy of sanctity and disciplined spiritual practice: even for a royal warrior, a place associated with righteous merit and ascetic communities commands reverence, suggesting that power is to be oriented toward dharma and humility before sacred tradition.
While in the forest, Yudhiṣṭhira comes upon and recognizes the revered altar associated with Paraśurāma (linked to Ṛcīka’s lineage). The altar is depicted as continually attended by groups of ascetics, emphasizing the site’s holiness and ongoing religious life.