Shloka 17

Ārṣṭiṣeṇa’s Siddhi and the Tīrtha-Boons; Sindhudvīpa–Devāpi Brāhmaṇya; Viśvāmitra’s Tapas Begins

Devanagari script

स तु गत्वा ततस्तत्र तीर्थमौशनसं द्विज:,तदनन्तर वे ब्रह्मर्षि वहाँ औशनसतीर्थमें गये और उसके जलसे आचमन एवं स्नान किया। उसी समय वह कपाल उनके चरण (जाँघ)-को छोड़कर पानीके भीतर गिर पड़ा

Transliteration

sa tu gatvā tatastatra tīrtham auśanasaṃ dvijaḥ | tad-anantaraṃ vai brahmarṣiḥ tatra auśanasa-tīrthe gatvā tasya jalena ācamanaṃ ca snānaṃ ca cakāra | tasminn eva kāle tat kapālaṃ tasya ūru-caraṇau vihāya jalāntare nipapāta |

Translation

ఆపై ఆ ద్విజుడు ఔశనస తీర్థమునకు వెళ్లెను. అక్కడ చేరి ఆచమనము చేసి స్నానమాచరించగానే, అతని తొడ/పాదమునకు అంటుకొని ఉన్న ఆ కపాలము విడిచి నీటిలో పడిపోయెను.

Word by Word

सःhe

तुbut/indeed

गत्वाhaving gone

ततःthen/from there

तत्रthere

तीर्थम्ford; sacred bathing-place

औशनसम्belonging to Uśanas (Śukra); named Auśanasa

द्विजःthe brahmin (twice-born)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

dvija (brahmin)

brahmarṣi

Auśanasa-tīrtha

water (tīrtha-jala)

kapāla (skull)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the purificatory power of tīrtha and right ritual conduct: through ācamana and snāna at a consecrated place, a troubling attachment (symbolized by the clinging skull) is released, suggesting the easing of karmic burden through disciplined purification.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brahmin/seer reaches the Auśanasa pilgrimage ford, performs ritual sipping and bathing, and at that very moment the skull that had been stuck to his thigh/foot drops off and falls into the water.