Shloka 72
Kāṣṭhīla-Upākhyāna: Rākṣasī, Spear-Śakti, and Kāśī as Śakti-kṣetra
विद्या मोक्षकरी प्रोक्ता तृष्णा वैतरणी नदी । वैतरण्यां पतन्भर्ता मयोद्धृत इहाभवत् ॥ ७२ ॥
vidyā mokṣakarī proktā tṛṣṇā vaitaraṇī nadī | vaitaraṇyāṃ patanbhartā mayoddhṛta ihābhavat || 72 ||
विद्या मोक्षकरी प्रोक्ता, तृष्णा वैतरणी नदी। वैतरण्यां पतन् भर्ता मयोद्धृत इहाभवत्॥
Narrative speaker within a tirtha-mahatmya episode (a devoted wife recounting the event); framed within Suta’s narration of Uttara-Bhaga traditions
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It contrasts vidyā (liberating wisdom) with tṛṣṇā (craving), teaching that bondage is sustained by desire while liberation is enabled by true knowledge; the Vaitaraṇī is used as a vivid symbol of the perilous passage created by attachment.
By condemning tṛṣṇā (self-centered craving) and praising liberating vidyā, it supports bhakti’s inner discipline: devotion becomes steady when desire-driven impulses are crossed over, and grace/merit is portrayed through the “rescue” motif common in tirtha-mahātmya narratives.
The verse is primarily philosophical rather than technical; it practically emphasizes viveka (discernment) and ethical self-governance—foundational to Dharma—rather than a specific Vedanga like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa.