Shloka 1
Kapālamocana-tīrtha (Auśanasa) and Balarāma’s Sarasvatī Pilgrimage
अकाल ३. पत्थरसे फोड़े हुए फलका भोजन करनेवाले। २. दाँतसे ही ओखलीका काम लेनेवाले अर्थात् ओखलीमें कूटकर नहीं
Janamejaya uvāca | saptasārasvataṁ kasmāt kaś ca maṅkaṇako muniḥ | kathaṁ siddhaḥ sa bhagavān kaś cāsya niyamo 'bhavat ||
Janamejaya perguntou: “Ó melhor dos brâmanes, por que razão surgiu o vau sagrado chamado Saptasārasvata? E quem foi o venerável sábio Maṅkaṇaka? Como esse santo alcançou a realização espiritual (siddhi), e que disciplina ou voto observava?”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models dhārmic inquiry: sacred places and saintly power are not treated as mere marvels but are traced to causes—discipline (niyama), conduct, and the moral-spiritual conditions that generate holiness and attainment (siddhi).
Janamejaya asks the narrator to explain the origin and greatness of the Saptasārasvata sacred ford and to recount the life of the sage Maṅkaṇaka—specifically how he gained spiritual powers and what vows or restraints he practiced.