Shloka 18
युधिष्ठिरस्य अर्जुनप्रेषण-युक्तिवर्णनम् | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rationale for Sending Arjuna and Request to Dhaumya
ततो गच्छेत् सुवर्णाख्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम्,तदनन्तर त्रिभुवनविख्यात सुवर्णतीर्थकी यात्रा करे। वहाँ पूर्वकालमें भगवान् विष्णुने रुद्रदेवकी प्रसन्नताके लिये उनकी आराधना की और उनसे अनेक देवदुर्लभ उत्तम वर प्राप्त किये
tato gacchet suvarṇākhyam triṣu lokeṣu viśrutam | tadanantaraṃ tribhuvanavikhyātaṃ suvarṇatīrthakī yātrāṃ karet | tatra pūrvakāle bhagavān viṣṇur rudradevasya prasannatāyai tasya ārādhanāṃ cakāra ca, tataś ca anekān devadurlabhān uttamān varān prāptavān |
Then one should proceed to the sacred place known as Suvarṇa, renowned in the three worlds. After that, one should undertake the pilgrimage to the Suvarṇa-tīrtha, celebrated throughout the three realms. There, in ancient times, Lord Viṣṇu worshipped Rudra to win his favor and obtained from him many excellent boons that are difficult even for the gods to attain. The passage commends reverent pilgrimage and disciplined devotion as means to spiritual merit and divine grace.
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the religious value of tīrtha-yātrā and sincere ārādhanā (devotional worship): sacred travel and disciplined devotion are presented as means to gain puṇya and divine favor, exemplified by Viṣṇu’s reverent worship of Rudra and the resulting boons.
The speaker directs the listener to go to the famed Suvarṇa sacred place and then to the celebrated Suvarṇa-tīrtha. The text recalls an ancient precedent at that site: Viṣṇu worshipped Rudra to please him and received rare, excellent boons.