Shloka 4

Tīrtha-yātrā: Prayāga-saṅgama and Gayaśiras—Rājarṣi Gaya’s Mahāyajña

Devanagari script

श्वापदेरुपसृष्टानि दुर्गाणि विषमाणि च । अगम्यानि नरैरल्पैस्तीर्थानि मनुजेश्वर,“मनुजेश्वर! वे सभी तीर्थ हिंसक जन्तुओंसे भरे पड़े हैं। दुर्गण और विषम भी हैं। थोड़े से मनुष्य वहाँकी यात्रा नहीं कर सकते

Transliteration

śvāpader upasṛṣṭāni durgāṇi viṣamāṇi ca | agamyāni narair alpais tīrthāni manujeśvara ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O lord of men, those sacred fords are infested with wild beasts; the routes are rugged and perilous. With only a small band of men, they are not easily accessible.”

Word by Word

श्वापदेभ्यःfrom wild beasts/predators

उपसृष्टानिinfested/overrun

दुर्गाणिdifficult places/strongholds; hard tracts

विषमाणिuneven/rough/difficult

चand

अगम्यानिnot passable/inaccessible

नरैःby men

अल्पैःfew (in number)

तीर्थानिpilgrimage-fords/holy places

मनुजेश्वरO lord of men

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

manujeśvara (a king, addressed)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes prudent discernment in dharmic pursuits: even sacred goals like visiting tīrthas require practical planning, adequate support, and attention to safety; righteousness is not served by reckless endangerment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports a warning addressed to a king: the pilgrimage sites and routes are overrun by dangerous animals and the terrain is difficult, so a small party of men cannot easily reach them.