अध्याय ९० — लोमशोपदेशः तथा तीर्थयात्रानिश्चयः
Lomaśa’s Counsel and the Resolve for Pilgrimage
सरस्वती नदी सद्धि: सततं पार्थ पूजिता । बालखिल्यैर्महाराज यत्रेष्टमृषिभि: पुरा,कुन्तीनन्दन! साधु पुरुषोंने सरस्वती नदीकी सदा उपासना की है। महाराज! पूर्वकालमें बालखिल्य ऋषियोंने वहाँ यज्ञ किया था
sarasvatī nadī siddhiḥ satataṃ pārtha pūjitā | bālakhilyair mahārāja yatreṣṭam ṛṣibhiḥ purā ||
Wika ni Dhaumya: “O Pārtha, ang ilog Sarasvatī ay laging iginagalang bilang bukal ng mga katuparang espirituwal. O Hari, noong unang panahon ay nagsagawa roon ng mga handog at ritwal na pangsakripisyo ang mga pantas na Bālakhilya. Kaya, O anak ni Kuntī, ang mga mararangal ay palaging sumasamba sa Sarasvatī nang may taimtim na paggalang.”
धौम्य उवाच
Sacred places gain authority through continuous reverence and the exemplary conduct of sages; honoring such a tīrtha—here, the Sarasvatī—supports spiritual attainment (siddhi) and aligns one with dharmic tradition.
Dhaumya instructs the Pāṇḍava (addressed as Pārtha/Kuntīnandana) by praising the Sarasvatī as a perpetually revered river and citing precedent: the ancient Bālakhilya sages performed sacrifices there, establishing it as a powerful and respected sacred site.