Shloka 21
Cyavana’s Reconciliation with Indra; Tīrtha-Indexing at Ārcīka-parvata and Yamunā
Chapter 125
इह ते वै चरून् प्राश्नन्नषयश्न विशाम्पते । यमुना चाक्षयस्रोता कृष्णश्वेह तपोरत:,राजन! यहाँ देवताओं और ऋषियोंने चरुभोजन किया था। इसके पास ही अक्षय प्रवाहवाली यमुना नदी बहती है। यहीं भगवान् कृष्णने भी तपस्या की है। शत्रुदमन! नकुल, सहदेव, भीमसेन, द्रौपदी और हम सब लोग तुम्हारे साथ इसी स्थानपर चलेंगे। पाण्डुनन्दन! यह इन्द्रका पवित्र झरना है। नरेश्वर! यह वही स्थान है जहाँ धाता, विधाता और वरुण ऊर्ध्वलोक गये हैं
iha te vai carūn prāśnann ṛṣayaś ca viśāmpate | yamunā cākṣayasrotā kṛṣṇaś cātra taporataḥ ||
Lomasha said: “Here, O lord of the people, the sages once partook of the sacred caru-offering. Nearby flows the Yamunā, whose stream is unfailing. Here too Kṛṣṇa engaged in austerities. This place is thus sanctified by sacrifice, ascetic discipline, and the ever-flowing river—worthy of reverence and restraint in conduct.”
लोगमश उवाच
Educational Q&A
Sacred places are defined not only by geography but by sustained dharmic acts—sacrifice (caru), ascetic discipline (tapas), and reverence for life-giving waters. The ethical implication is to approach such spaces with restraint, purity, and respect for tradition.
Lomasha, guiding the Pandavas on pilgrimage, identifies a holy spot: sages once ate the ritual caru here; the Yamunā flows nearby with an unfailing current; and Kṛṣṇa is remembered as having practiced austerities at this place, marking it as a significant tīrtha.