Shloka 8
युधिष्ठिरस्य अर्जुनप्रेषण-युक्तिवर्णनम् | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rationale for Sending Arjuna and Request to Dhaumya
अर्चयित्वा पितृन् देवानश्वमेधफलं लभेत् । ईशानाध्युषितं नाम तत्र तीर्थ सुदुर्लभम्,वहाँ देवताओं तथा पितरोंकी पूजा करनेसे मनुष्यको अश्वमेधयज्ञका फल मिलता है। वहीं ईशानाध्युषित नामक परम दुर्लभ तीर्थ है
arcayitvā pitṝn devān aśvamedhaphalaṁ labhet | īśānādhyuṣitaṁ nāma tatra tīrthaṁ sudurlabham ||
Sa pagsamba sa mga Pitṛ (mga espiritu ng ninuno) at sa mga diyos doon, sinasabing nakakamit ng tao ang gantimpalang katumbas ng handog na Aśvamedha. Sa mismong pook na iyon ay naroon ang isang napakabihirang banal na tawiran (tīrtha) na tinatawag na Īśānādhyuṣita—pinabanal ng presensya ni Īśāna (Śiva).
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that sincere worship of both ancestors (Pitṛs) and gods at a sanctified tīrtha can yield extraordinary spiritual merit—symbolically equated with the Aśvamedha—highlighting the Mahābhārata’s emphasis on accessible dharma through devotion and pilgrimage rather than only grand royal rituals.
A speaker is describing the greatness of a particular pilgrimage site, stating that honoring the Pitṛs and the gods there grants immense merit, and identifying the place as the rare tīrtha called Īśānādhyuṣita, associated with the presence of Īśāna (Śiva).