Shloka 25
Kurukṣetra and Sarasvatī Tīrthas: Pilgrimage Itinerary and the Sanctification of Rāma-hrada
Paraśurāma’s Lakes
यत्र रामेण राजेंद्र तरसा दीप्ततेजसा । क्षत्रमुत्सार्य वीर्येण ह्रदाः पंच निषेविताः । पूरयित्वा नरव्याघ्र रुधिरेणेति नः श्रुतम्
yatra rāmeṇa rājeṃdra tarasā dīptatejasā | kṣatramutsārya vīryeṇa hradāḥ paṃca niṣevitāḥ | pūrayitvā naravyāghra rudhireṇeti naḥ śrutam
Wahai raja segala raja! Di tempat itu, Rāma yang bersinar dengan teja yang gemilang, bertindak dengan kekuatan yang pantas, telah menghalau kaum kṣatriya dengan keperwiraannya; di sana lima buah tasik telah didatangi; dan wahai harimau di antara manusia, kami mendengar bahawa baginda memenuhi tasik-tasik itu dengan darah.
Uncertain from isolated verse (likely a narrator addressing a king, e.g., Pulastya speaking to Bhīṣma, or a Purāṇic narrator to a royal interlocutor)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Sandhi Resolution Notes: क्षत्रमुत्सार्य = क्षत्रम् + उत्सार्य; ह्रदाः पंच = ह्रदाः + पञ्च; रुधिरेणेति = रुधिरेण + इति.
FAQs
The context—expelling the kṣatriyas and the tradition of blood-filled lakes—points to Paraśurāma (Bhṛgu-Rāma), not Rāma Dāśarathi.
They function as a sacred-geography marker tied to Paraśurāma’s mythic campaign; Purāṇic texts often attach such episodes to specific tīrthas or locales to explain their fame.
It evokes the Purāṇic theme of conflict between brahminical ascetic power (Paraśurāma) and kṣatriya political power, raising questions about righteous punishment, excess violence, and the limits of retribution.