Shloka 2
The Solar Eclipse at Samanta-pañcaka and the Great Reunion of Yādavas, Pāṇḍavas, and Vraja
तं ज्ञात्वा मनुजा राजन् पुरस्तादेव सर्वत: । समन्तपञ्चकं क्षेत्रं ययु: श्रेयोविधित्सया ॥ २ ॥
taṁ jñātvā manujā rājan purastād eva sarvataḥ samanta-pañcakaṁ kṣetraṁ yayuḥ śreyo-vidhitsayā
Mengetahui tentang gerhana ini terlebih dahulu, wahai Raja, ramai orang pergi ke tempat suci yang dikenali sebagai Samanta-pancaka untuk mendapatkan pahala.
Vedic astronomers of five thousand years ago could predict eclipses of the sun and moon just as well as our modern astronomers can. The knowledge of the ancient astronomers went much further, however, since they understood the karmic influences of such events. Solar and lunar eclipses are generally very inauspicious, with certain rare exceptions. But just as the otherwise inauspicious Ekādaśī day becomes beneficial when used for the glorification of Lord Hari, so the time of an eclipse is also advantageous for fasting and worship.
FAQs
This verse states that people, seeking śreyas (the highest welfare), traveled from all directions to the holy field of Samantapañcaka—showing pilgrimage as a dharmic act aimed at spiritual upliftment.
Śukadeva is narrating the events around the gathering at Samantapañcaka in Canto 10, Chapter 82, explaining to Parīkṣit how people prepared and assembled at that sacred place with auspicious intention.
Like the pilgrims who oriented their actions toward śreyas, one can prioritize choices that elevate character and devotion—regular sādhana, visiting sacred spaces with humility, and seeking spiritually nourishing association.