Shloka 163
अगस्त्य-वातापि-उपाख्यानम्
Agastya and Vātāpi: Ilvala’s stratagem; Lopāmudrā’s emergence
पुनर्वेत्स्यसि तां लक्ष्मीमेष पन्था: सनातन: । यशोहीन दैत्य पूर्णतः विनष्ट हो गये, किंतु धर्मशील देवताओंने पवित्र समुद्रों, सरिताओं, सरोवरों और पुण्यप्रद आश्रमोंकी यात्रा की। पाण्डुनन्दन! वहाँ तपस्या, यज्ञ और दान आदि करके महात्माओंके आशीर्वादसे वे सब पापोंसे मुक्त हो कल्याणके भागी हुए। इस प्रकार उत्तम नियम ग्रहण करके किसीसे भी कोई प्रतिग्रह न लेकर देवताओंने तीर्थोमें विचरण किया; इससे उन्हें उत्तम ऐश्वर्यकी प्राप्ति हुई। नृपश्रेष्ठ! जहाँ राजा धर्मके अनुसार बर्ताव करते हैं वहाँ वे सब शत्रुओंको नष्ट कर देते हैं और उनका राज्य भी बढ़ता रहता है। राजेन्द्र! इसलिये तुम भी भाइयोंसहित तीर्थोमें स्नान करके खोयी हुई राजलक्ष्मी प्राप्त कर लोगे। यही सनातन मार्ग है
punar vetsyasi tāṁ lakṣmīm eṣa panthāḥ sanātanaḥ | yaśohīnā daityāḥ pūrṇataḥ vinaṣṭāḥ, kintu dharmaśīlā devatāḥ pavitrān samudrān saritāḥ sarovarāṇi puṇyapradān āśramāṁś ca paryaṭan kṛtvā | pāṇḍunandana! tatra tapasā yajñena dānena ca mahātmāśīrvādāt te sarve pāpebhyo muktāḥ kalyāṇabhāginaḥ babhūvuḥ | evaṁ uttamān niyamān gṛhītvā kasyacid api pratigrahaṁ na gṛhṇantaḥ devatā tīrtheṣu vicacāraḥ; tataḥ teṣām uttamam aiśvaryaṁ prāptam | nṛpaśreṣṭha! yatra rājāno dharmānusāreṇa vartante tatra te sarvān śatrūn nāśayanti rājyaṁ ca vardhate | rājendra! tasmāt tvam api bhrātṛbhiḥ saha tīrtheṣu snātvā naṣṭāṁ rājalakṣmīṁ prāpsyasi | eṣa eva sanātanaḥ panthāḥ ||
“You will regain that royal fortune again; this is the eternal path. The Daityas, bereft of true glory, were utterly ruined; but the gods, steadfast in dharma, undertook pilgrimages to holy seas, rivers, lakes, and merit-bestowing hermitages. O son of Pāṇḍu, there they practiced austerity, performed sacrifices, and gave gifts; by the blessings of great sages they were freed from all sin and became heirs to well-being. Thus, adopting excellent disciplines and accepting no gifts from anyone, the gods wandered among the tīrthas, and through this they attained supreme prosperity. O best of kings, where rulers act in accordance with dharma, they destroy all enemies and their realm continually grows. Therefore you too, together with your brothers, should bathe at the sacred fords and you will recover the lost Lakṣmī of kingship. This indeed is the timeless way.”
लोगश उवाच
Educational Q&A
Dharma-based conduct—especially pilgrimage, self-discipline, austerity, sacrifice, and charity without dependence on others’ gifts—purifies past faults and restores prosperity; for kings, righteous governance is the enduring means to defeat enemies and expand the realm.
Lomaśa instructs the Pāṇḍava king (addressed as Pāṇḍunandana) that the gods regained prosperity by touring sacred places and practicing tapas, yajña, and dāna while avoiding pratigraha; he urges the king and his brothers to do the same to recover their lost royal fortune.