। सूत उवाच । ततः प्रणम्य भूयः स वसिष्ठं मुनिपुंगवम् । ययौ तत्र सुतास्तस्य यत्र ते शतसंख्यकाः
| sūta uvāca | tataḥ praṇamya bhūyaḥ sa vasiṣṭhaṃ munipuṃgavam | yayau tatra sutāstasya yatra te śatasaṃkhyakāḥ
سوت نے کہا: پھر اس نے دوبارہ جھک کر، رِشیوں میں برتر وِشِشٹھ کو پرنام کیا اور وہاں گیا جہاں اُس مُنی کے بیٹے—سینکڑوں کی تعداد میں—موجود تھے۔
Sūta
Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (implied Sūta-frame)
Scene: A king or noble pilgrim bows to Vasiṣṭha; then proceeds to an āśrama-courtyard where many youthful sages (Vasiṣṭha’s sons/disciples) sit in rows with palm-leaf manuscripts and kuśa grass.
When denied by a principal authority, the seeker turns to alternative authorities—setting up the moral question of whether spiritual aims should be pursued through mere substitution of teachers.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it advances the story within the Tīrthamāhātmya framework.
None directly; the verse narrates movement toward other potential officiants (Vasiṣṭha’s sons).