Shloka 13
Udīcī-diśi Tīrtha-kīrtana
Northern Sacred Places Enumeration
अशोकतीर्थ तत्रैव कौन्तेय बहुलाअ्मम् । अगस्त्यतीर्थ पाण्ड्येषु वारुणं च युधिछ्िर,कुन्तीनन्दन! उसी क्षेत्रमें अशोकतीर्थ है, जहाँ महर्षियोंके बहुत-से आश्रम हैं। युधिष्ठिर! पाण्ड्यदेशमें अगस्त्यतीर्थ और वारुणतीर्थ है। नरश्रेष्ठ। पाण्ड्यदेशके भीतर पवित्र कुमारी कन्याएँ (कन्याकुमारी तीर्थ) कही गयी हैं। कुन्तीकुमार! अब मैं तुमसे ताम्रपर्णी नदीकी महिमाका वर्णन करूँगा, सुनो
dhaumya uvāca |
aśokatīrthaṃ tatraiva kaunteya bahulāśramam |
agastyatīrthaṃ pāṇḍyeṣu vāruṇaṃ ca yudhiṣṭhira ||
Dhaumya said: “O son of Kuntī, in that very region lies Aśoka-tīrtha, a sacred ford renowned for its many hermitages of seers. And, O Yudhiṣṭhira, in the Pāṇḍya country there are also Agastya-tīrtha and Vāruṇa-tīrtha.”
धौम्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharmic value of tīrtha-yātrā: seeking places sanctified by sages and deities to cultivate purity, restraint, and right orientation of mind. By naming specific tīrthas and their associations, it frames sacred geography as a support for ethical and spiritual renewal.
Dhaumya is guiding the Pāṇḍavas—addressing Yudhiṣṭhira and ‘Kaunteya’—by listing notable pilgrimage fords: Aśoka-tīrtha with many hermitages, and in the Pāṇḍya region the tīrthas connected with Agastya and Varuṇa. It is part of an itinerary-style instruction within the Vana Parva.