Shloka 15
अश्वशिरो-आख्यानम्
Aśvaśiras / Hayaśiras Narrative: Retrieval of the Vedas
राजन्! नारदजी सम्पूर्ण लोकोंमें विचरते थे; अतः वे शीघ्रगामी मुनि बदरिकाश्रमके उस विशाल प्रदेशमें घूमते-घामते आ पहुँचे, जो महान् प्राणियोंसे युक्त था ।। तयोराह्विकवेलायां तस्य कौतूहलं त्वभूत् । इदं तदास्पदं कृत्स्नं यस्मिललोका: प्रतिष्ठिता:
rājan! nāradaḥ sampūrṇeṣu lokeṣu vicarati sma; ataḥ sa śīghragāmī muniḥ badarikāśramasya tasmin viśāle pradeśe bhraman bhraman ājagāma, yo mahāprāṇibhir yuktaḥ. tayor āhvika-velāyāṃ tasya kautūhalaṃ tv abhūt. idaṃ tad āspadaṃ kṛtsnaṃ yasmin lokāḥ pratiṣṭhitāḥ.
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai Raja, Nārada memang mengembara di seluruh alam. Maka resi yang pantas itu, sambil terus mengembara, tiba di wilayah luas Badarikāśrama, tempat didiami makhluk-makhluk agung. Pada waktu upacara senja, timbul rasa ingin tahu dalam dirinya: ‘Inilah seluruh kediaman suci, tempat segala dunia bertegak.’”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights reverence for sacred places and disciplined ritual time: a great sage, even while roaming freely, arrives at a holy hermitage and, at the proper hour of worship, reflects with awe on the deeper foundation of the worlds—suggesting that dharma is supported by sacred order, right timing, and contemplative inquiry.
Bhishma narrates that Narada, who travels across all realms, comes to the vast region of Badarikashrama inhabited by exalted beings. During the evening-rite time, Narada becomes curious and recognizes the place as a profound ‘abode’ or support upon which the worlds are established.