Shloka 39
Saptasārasvata-tīrtha-prasaṅgaḥ | The Saptasārasvata Pilgrimage Account and the Maṅkaṇaka Narrative
जनमेजय उवाच कस्मात् सरस्वती ब्रद्यान् निवृत्ता प्राडमुखी भवत् । व्याख्यातमेतदिच्छामि सर्वमध्वर्युसत्तम
janamejaya uvāca kasmāt sarasvatī bradyān nivṛttā prāḍmukhī bhavat | vyākhyātam etad icchāmi sarvam adhvaryusattama ||
Janamejaya nói: “Vì cớ gì sông Sarasvatī đang chảy xiết lại quay ngược, hướng mặt về phía đông? Hỡi bậc thượng thủ trong hàng tư tế chủ lễ, ta muốn được nghe giải bày trọn vẹn việc này.”
जनमेजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models dharmic inquiry: a ruler seeks a complete, reasoned explanation from a qualified ritual authority, emphasizing that sacred phenomena and traditions should be understood through careful questioning and authoritative exposition.
King Janamejaya asks the chief priest-narrator to explain why the sacred river Sarasvatī, described as flowing swiftly, reversed course and became east-facing, requesting the full account behind this unusual event.