Shloka 17
Vaitaraṇī-tīrtha and the Devayāna Path
Kaliṅga Episode
एतत् स्वयम्भुवो राजन् वन दिव्यं प्रकाशते । यत्रायजत राजेन्द्र विश्वकर्मा प्रतापवान्,राजन! यह ब्रह्माजीका दिव्य वन प्रकाशित हो रहा है; राजेन्द्र! यहीं प्रतापी विश्वकर्मानि यज्ञ किया है
etad svayambhuvo rājan vana divyaṁ prakāśate | yatrāyajata rājendra viśvakarmā pratāpavān |
Lomaśa nói: “Muôn tâu Đại vương, đây là khu rừng thần diệu rực sáng của Svayambhū (Phạm Thiên) đang hiện lộ. Hỡi bậc tối thượng trong hàng vua chúa, chính tại nơi này, Viśvakarmā hùng lực đã từng cử hành một lễ tế (yajña).”
लोमश उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the sanctity of place through divine association: a forest becomes spiritually significant because it is connected with Brahmā (Svayambhū) and with Viśvakarmā’s yajña. It reinforces the dharmic idea that sacred sites preserve and reveal the memory of righteous acts, especially sacrificial worship.
Lomaśa, guiding the king during the forest journey, points out a particular divine woodland. He identifies it as Brahmā’s radiant forest and notes that Viśvakarmā once performed a sacrifice there, thereby marking the location as a revered spot.