Shloka 3
Tīrtha-yātrā: Prayāga-saṅgama and Gayaśiras—Rājarṣi Gaya’s Mahāyajña
अस्मानपि महाराज नेतुमरहसि पाण्डव । अस्माभिहिं न शक्यानि त्वदृते तानि कौरव,“कुरुकुलतिलक पाण्डुनन्दन! हमें भी अपने साथ ले चलें। महाराज! आपके बिना हमलोग उन तीथर्थोंकी यात्रा नहीं कर सकते
asmān api mahārāja netum arhasi pāṇḍava | asmābhiḥ hi na śakyāni tvadṛte tāni kaurava ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “O great king, O Pāṇḍava, you should take us also with you. For without you, O scion of the Kuru line, we are not able to undertake those pilgrimages.” The request highlights reliance on the righteous leader: sacred travel is not merely movement through places, but a disciplined journey best pursued under the guidance and protection of one who embodies dharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that dharmic undertakings—like tīrtha-yātrā—are best pursued with proper guidance and protection. The companions acknowledge that without the Pāṇḍava leader, the journey is not practically or ethically sustainable.
A group accompanying the Pāṇḍava (addressed as ‘Mahārāja’ and ‘Kaurava’) asks to be taken along. They state that without him they cannot manage the planned pilgrimage to the sacred tīrthas.