Shloka 113
Kapālamocana-tīrtha (Auśanasa) and Balarāma’s Sarasvatī Pilgrimage
न दृश्यते सरिच्छेष्ठा यस्मादिह सरस्वती । राजन्! इस प्रकार जब पितामह ब्रह्मा पुष्करमें रहकर यज्ञ कर रहे थे
na dṛśyate saricchreṣṭhā yasmād iha sarasvatī | rājan, itthaṁ yadā pitāmahaḥ brahmā puṣkare sthitvā yajñaṁ karoti sma, tadā ṛṣayas tam ūcuḥ—“bhagavan, ayaṁ te yajño ’dya mahad-guṇa-sampanno na bhavati; yata iha saritāṁ śreṣṭhā sarasvatī na dṛśyate.”
Disse Vaiśampāyana: “Ó rei, assim aconteceu: quando o Avô Brahmā residia em Puṣkara e realizava um sacrifício, os sábios lhe disseram: ‘Senhor bem-aventurado, teu sacrifício ainda não está dotado de toda a sua grandeza, pois aqui não se vê Sarasvatī, a mais excelsa entre os rios.’”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual action (yajña) is considered fully efficacious only when essential sacred conditions are present; the sages emphasize completeness and auspicious propriety, here symbolized by the presence of Sarasvatī, the foremost river and a marker of sanctity.
During Brahmā’s sacrifice at Puṣkara, the sages observe that Sarasvatī is absent and therefore tell Brahmā that the rite has not yet attained its full excellence; the narration is framed by Vaiśampāyana addressing King Janamejaya.