Shloka 113
Kapālamocana-tīrtha (Auśanasa) and Balarāma’s Sarasvatī Pilgrimage
न दृश्यते सरिच्छेष्ठा यस्मादिह सरस्वती । राजन्! इस प्रकार जब पितामह ब्रह्मा पुष्करमें रहकर यज्ञ कर रहे थे, उस समय ऋषियोंने उनसे कहा--“भगवन्! आपका यह यज्ञ अभी महान् गुणसे सम्पन्न नहीं है; क्योंकि यहाँ सरिताओंमें श्रेष्ठ सरस्वती नहीं दिखायी देती हैं”
na dṛśyate saricchreṣṭhā yasmād iha sarasvatī | rājan, itthaṁ yadā pitāmahaḥ brahmā puṣkare sthitvā yajñaṁ karoti sma, tadā ṛṣayas tam ūcuḥ—“bhagavan, ayaṁ te yajño ’dya mahad-guṇa-sampanno na bhavati; yata iha saritāṁ śreṣṭhā sarasvatī na dṛśyate.”
Vaiśampāyana nói: “Tâu Đại vương, sự việc đã diễn ra như sau: khi Đấng Tổ Phụ Brahmā ngự tại Puṣkara và đang cử hành tế lễ, các hiền triết thưa rằng: ‘Bạch Thánh Chủ, tế lễ của Ngài vẫn chưa trọn vẹn đại đức, bởi nơi đây không thấy Sarasvatī—dòng sông tối thượng trong các dòng sông.’”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Ritual action (yajña) is considered fully efficacious only when essential sacred conditions are present; the sages emphasize completeness and auspicious propriety, here symbolized by the presence of Sarasvatī, the foremost river and a marker of sanctity.
During Brahmā’s sacrifice at Puṣkara, the sages observe that Sarasvatī is absent and therefore tell Brahmā that the rite has not yet attained its full excellence; the narration is framed by Vaiśampāyana addressing King Janamejaya.