Shloka 11
Avanti–Narmadā–Puṣkara Tīrtha-Kathana (धौम्यकथितं तीर्थवर्णनम्)
महानदी च तत्रैव तथा गयशिरो नृप । यत्रासौ कीर्त्यते विप्रैरक्षय्यकरणो वट:,'राजन्! वहीं महानदी और गयशीर्षतीर्थ है, जहाँ ब्राह्मणोंने अक्षयवटकी स्थिति बतायी है जिसके जड़ और शाखा आदि उपकरण कभी नष्ट नहीं होते
vaiśampāyana uvāca | mahānadī ca tatraiva tathā gayaśiro nṛpa | yatrāsau kīrtyate viprair akṣayyakarano vaṭaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O king, there too are the great river and the sacred place called Gayaśiras—where the Brahmins point out the Akṣayavaṭa, the ‘imperishable banyan,’ whose roots and branches are famed as never perishing.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharmic value of tīrthas: sacred places are preserved in collective memory through learned tradition, and their ‘imperishable’ symbols (like Akṣayavaṭa) point to continuity of faith, lineage, and merit across time.
Vaiśampāyana is describing notable pilgrimage landmarks to the king—identifying the great river, the Gayaśiras sacred site, and the famed Akṣayavaṭa that Brahmins indicate as a revered, enduring object of worship and remembrance.