Shloka 6
Plakṣāvataraṇa–Yamunā Tīrtha and Prajāpati’s Vedī
Kurukṣetra Threshold
एषा शम्येकपत्रा या सरकं चैतदुत्तमम् | पश्य रामह्ददानेतान् पश्य नारायणाश्रमम्,यह एक पत्तेवाली शमीका अवशेष अंश है तथा यह उत्तम सरोवर है। देखो, ये परशुरामजीके कुण्ड हैं और यह नारायणाश्रम है
eṣā śamyekapatrā yā sarakaṃ caitad uttamam | paśya rāmahṛdadān etān paśya nārāyaṇāśramam ||
Lomaśa said: “Here is that śamī tree with a single leaf—this is its remaining fragment; and here is this excellent lake. Look—these are the sacred pools of Rāma (Paraśurāma). And look—this is Nārāyaṇa’s hermitage.”
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes reverence for tīrthas and sacred landmarks: dharma is supported not only by abstract rules but also by remembrance of holy places, sages, and exemplary figures (like Nārāyaṇa and Paraśurāma), which inspire restraint, purity, and right conduct.
During the Pāṇḍavas’ pilgrimage in the forest, the sage Lomaśa points out notable sacred sites: a famed one-leaved śamī tree (as a remnant), an excellent lake, the sacred pools associated with Paraśurāma, and the hermitage of Nārāyaṇa—guiding the travelers through a spiritually charged landscape.