Shloka 9
तीर्थयात्रा: सागरतीर्थ-शूर्पारक-प्रभासगमनम्
Pilgrimage to Sea Tīrthas, Śūrpāraka, and Prabhāsa
तत्रोदथे: कंचिदतीत्य देशं ख्यातं पृथिव्यां वनमाससाद । तप्तं सुरैस्तत्र तपः पुरस्ता- दिष्टं तथा पुण्यपरैनरिन्द्रै:,वहाँ समुद्रके कुछ भागको लाँघकर वे एक ऐसे वनमें आये जो भूमण्डलमें सर्वत्र विख्यात था। वहाँ पूर्वकालमें देवताओंने तपस्या की थी और पुण्यात्मा नरेशोंने यज्ञोंका अनुष्ठान किया था
tatrodadheḥ kañcid atītya deśaṃ khyātaṃ pṛthivyāṃ vanam āsasāda | taptaṃ surais tatra tapaḥ purastād iṣṭaṃ tathā puṇyaparair narendraiḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Having crossed a certain stretch of the ocean, they reached a forest renowned throughout the world. In former times the gods had practiced austerities there, and likewise righteous kings—rich in merit—had performed sacrificial rites. The place is thus marked as a sanctified landscape where discipline and lawful ritual have long been upheld.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames certain places as sanctified by sustained tapas (self-discipline) and yajña (lawful, duty-bound ritual). It implies an ethical ideal: both divine beings and exemplary kings uphold dharma through restraint, merit-making action, and reverent observance, leaving a moral imprint on the world.
The travelers cross a portion of the sea and arrive at a world-famous forest. The narrator highlights the forest’s sanctity by recalling that gods once practiced austerities there and that virtuous kings performed sacrifices there, setting the stage for events in a spiritually charged setting.