Shloka 4
Vaitaraṇī-tīrtha and the Devayāna Path
Kaliṅga Episode
लोगमश उवाच एते कलिज्जा: कौन्तेय यत्र वैतरणी नदी । यत्रायजत धर्मोडपि देवाउ्छरणमेत्य वै,तब लोमशजीने कहा--कुन्तीकुमार! यह कलिंग देश है, जिसमें वैतरणी नदी बहती है। जहाँ धर्मने भी देवताओंकी शरणमें जाकर यज्ञ किया था
Lomaśa uvāca—ete Kaliṅgāḥ, Kaunteya, yatra Vaitaraṇī nadī; yatrāyajata Dharmo ’pi devān śaraṇam etya vai.
Lomaśa disse: “Ó filho de Kuntī, esta é a terra dos Kaliṅgas, onde corre o rio Vaitaraṇī. Aqui até mesmo Dharma, buscando refúgio junto aos deuses, realizou um sacrifício.”
लोगमश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that even Dharma (righteousness personified) seeks divine refuge and performs yajña, implying that moral order is sustained through humility, reverence, and disciplined ritual action rather than mere self-assertion.
During the Pāṇḍavas’ pilgrimage in the forest, the sage Lomaśa identifies the region of Kaliṅga and points out the river Vaitaraṇī, adding a sacred precedent: Dharma once came here, approached the gods for refuge, and performed a sacrifice.