Shloka 8
युधिष्ठिरस्य अर्जुनप्रेषण-युक्तिवर्णनम् | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rationale for Sending Arjuna and Request to Dhaumya
अर्चयित्वा पितृन् देवानश्वमेधफलं लभेत् । ईशानाध्युषितं नाम तत्र तीर्थ सुदुर्लभम्,वहाँ देवताओं तथा पितरोंकी पूजा करनेसे मनुष्यको अश्वमेधयज्ञका फल मिलता है। वहीं ईशानाध्युषित नामक परम दुर्लभ तीर्थ है
arcayitvā pitṝn devān aśvamedhaphalaṁ labhet | īśānādhyuṣitaṁ nāma tatra tīrthaṁ sudurlabham ||
By worshipping the Pitṛs (ancestral spirits) and the gods there, a person is said to obtain the merit equal to that of an Aśvamedha sacrifice. In that very region lies a supremely rare sacred ford (tīrtha) known as Īśānādhyuṣita—hallowed by the presence of Īśāna (Śiva).
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that sincere worship of both ancestors (Pitṛs) and gods at a sanctified tīrtha can yield extraordinary spiritual merit—symbolically equated with the Aśvamedha—highlighting the Mahābhārata’s emphasis on accessible dharma through devotion and pilgrimage rather than only grand royal rituals.
A speaker is describing the greatness of a particular pilgrimage site, stating that honoring the Pitṛs and the gods there grants immense merit, and identifying the place as the rare tīrtha called Īśānādhyuṣita, associated with the presence of Īśāna (Śiva).