Mahabharata 9.37.46 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 37, Shloka 46

Saptasārasvata-tīrtha-prasaṅgaḥ | The Saptasārasvata Pilgrimage Account and the Maṅkaṇaka Narrative

Devanagari script

अभिगच्छन्ति तत्‌ तीर्थ पुण्यं ब्राह्मणसेवितम्‌ । जनेश्वर! वहाँ उस ब्राह्मणसेवित पुण्यतीर्थमें गन्धरवॉसहित देवता भी प्रतिमास आया करते हैं,पुरुषसिंह! तीर्थसेवनके लोभसे वे ब्रह्मर्षिणण समन्तपंचक तीर्थतक सरस्वती नदीके तटपर ठहर गये ।।

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

abhigacchanti tat tīrthaṁ puṇyaṁ brāhmaṇasevitam |

janeśvara! tatra brāhmaṇasevite puṇyatīrthe gandharvaiḥ sahitā devatā api pratimāsaṁ āyānti, puruṣasiṁha! |

tīrthasevanalobhena te brahmarṣayaḥ samantapañcake tīrthe sarasvatīnadītīre nyavasan ||

yajvatāṁ tatra teṣāṁ tu munīnāṁ bhāvitātmanām |

svādhyāyenātimahatā babhūvuḥ pūritā diśaḥ ||

Translation

Вайшампаяна сказал: «О владыка людей, они приходят к тому священному броду — к святому тиртхе, освящённому служением брахманов. Там, в этом почитаемом брахманами святом месте, о лев среди людей, даже боги — в сопровождении гандхарвов — являются месяц за месяцем. Жаждая обрести заслугу от посещения тиртхи, те брахмариши остановились на берегу Сарасвати, у тиртхи, именуемой Самантапанчакой. И когда эти очищенные мудрецы совершали свои обряды, могучий звук их глубокого ведийского чтения (свадхьяя) заставлял звучать все стороны света.»

Word by Word

• अभिगच्छन्ति: they go/approach
• अभिगच्छन्ति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-गम् (गच्छ्)
• Form: लट् (Present), 3, Plural, Parasmaipada

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage-ford; sacred place
• तीर्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पुण्यम्: holy, meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणसेवितम्: served/attended by Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणसेवितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्मण-सेवित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle) from √सेव्

• युध्वताम्: of (those) fighting
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युध् (युध्यते) → युध्वत्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural, शतृ (present active participle) used as adjective

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• तेषाम्: of them
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• मुनीनाम्: of sages
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• भावितात्मनाम्: of the self-disciplined/purified-souled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भावित-आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural, क्त (past passive participle) from √भू/√भाव् in causative sense 'to cultivate/discipline'

• स्वाध्यायेन: by (Vedic) recitation/self-study
• स्वाध्यायेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाध्याय
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अतिमहतā: very great (in intensity/volume)
• अतिमहतā: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति-महत्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• बभूवुः: they became / there were
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), 3, Plural, Parasmaipada

• पूरिताः: filled, resounding
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूरित
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle) from √पूर्

• दिशः: the directions (quarters)
• दिशः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• devatāḥ (gods)
• Gandharvas
• brahmarṣis
• munis
• Samantapañcaka tīrtha
• Sarasvatī river
• tīrtha (holy ford)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage elevates tīrtha-sevā and svādhyāya as dharmic disciplines: holy places gain sanctity through the sustained presence, ritual, and Vedic recitation of purified sages, and even the gods are portrayed as honoring such centers of spiritual practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a renowned pilgrimage site—Samantapañcaka on the Sarasvatī—where brahmarṣis reside for the sake of tīrtha-merit; as they perform rites and chant the Veda, the powerful sound of their svādhyāya fills all directions, and the gods with Gandharvas are said to visit there monthly.