Shloka 33

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

Devanagari script

पन्नगेभ्यो भयं तत्र विद्यते न सम पौरव । तत्रापि विधिवद्‌ दत्त्वा विप्रेभ्यो रत्नसंचयान्‌,पौरव! वहाँ किसीको सर्पोसे भय नहीं होता। उस तीर्थमें भी बलरामजी ब्राह्मणोंको विधिपूर्वक ढेर-के-ढेर रत्न देकर पूर्वदिशाकी ओर चल दिये, जहाँ पग-पगपर अनेक प्रकारके प्रसिद्ध तीर्थ प्रकट हुए हैं। उनकी संख्या लगभग एक लाख है

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: pannagebhyo bhayaṃ tatra vidyate na sama Paurava | tatrāpi vidhivad dattvā viprebhyo ratnasañcayān ||

Translation

โอ้เชื้อสายปุรุ ณ ที่นั้นไม่มีผู้ใดหวาดกลัวนาคเลย และที่นั่นเอง พระพลรามได้ถวายกองแก้วแหวนรัตนะแก่พราหมณ์โดยถูกต้องตามพิธี

Word by Word

• {'Vaiśampāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśampāyana said', 'pannagebhyaḥ': 'from serpents

• with regard to snakes', 'bhayam': 'fear', 'tatra': 'there

• in that place', 'vidyate': 'exists

• is found', 'na': 'not', 'sama': 'equal

• at all (emphatic sense in context: ‘not in the least’)', 'Paurava': 'O Paurava

• descendant of Puru (address to Janamejaya)', 'tatrāpi': 'there also

• even there', 'vidhivat': 'according to rule

• in due ritual manner', 'dattvā': 'having given', 'viprebhyaḥ': 'to the Brahmins', 'ratna-sañcayān': 'heaps/collections of jewels

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Paurava (Janamejaya)
• Balarāma
• vipra (Brahmins)
• pannaga (serpents)
• ratna (jewels/treasures)
• tīrtha (sacred fords/pilgrimage sites)
• pūrvadiś (the eastern direction)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights dharmic conduct during pilgrimage: fear is dispelled in a sanctified space, and merit is reinforced through vidhivat dāna—proper, rule-governed generosity to Brahmins—showing that sacred travel is paired with ethical giving and ritual discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates Balarāma’s continued tīrtha-journey: at a place where serpents pose no danger, Balarāma performs prescribed gifts of jewels to Brahmins and then proceeds eastward, encountering a vast succession of famed tīrthas.