Saptasārasvata-tīrtha-prasaṅgaḥ | The Saptasārasvata Pilgrimage Account and the Maṅkaṇaka Narrative
नैमिषारण्यवासियोंके उस द्वादशवर्षीय यज्ञमें वे महाभाग ऋषि दीर्घकालतक रहे। जब वह यज्ञ समाप्त हो गया तब बहुत-से महर्षि तीर्थसेवनके लिये वहाँ आये ।।
ṛṣīṇāṃ bahulatvāt tu sarasvatyā viśāṃpate | tīrthāni nagarāyante kūle vai dakṣiṇe tadā ||
Vaiśampāyana nói: “Tâu Chúa tể muôn dân, vì các bậc hiền triết tụ hội quá đông, nên bấy giờ mọi bến thánh dọc bờ nam sông Sarasvatī đều trông như những thị trấn—chật kín ẩn sĩ, nghi lễ và nhịp bước hành hương sau đại tế.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse highlights how collective dharmic activity—many sages gathering for sacrifice and pilgrimage—can transform a landscape into a living center of sanctity, suggesting that holiness is intensified by sustained practice, community, and presence.
After a long sacrificial session, numerous sages assemble for tīrtha-sevana (pilgrimage). Their sheer numbers make the Sarasvatī’s southern-bank pilgrimage spots look like bustling towns.