Shloka 17

Lomaśa’s Arrival and Report on Arjuna’s Divine Astras (लोमशागमनम्—अर्जुनदिव्यास्त्रलाभवृत्तान्तः)

Devanagari script

अप्यत्र संश्रयार्थाय प्रजापतिरथो जगौ । पुष्करेषु कुरुश्रेष्ठ गाथां सुकृतिनां वर,पुण्यवानोंमें प्रधान कुरुश्रेष्ठ! पुष्करमें निवास करनेके लिये प्रजापति ब्रह्माजीने एक गाथा गायी है, जो इस प्रकार है

Transliteration

apy atra saṁśrayārthāya prajāpatiḥ atho jagau | puṣkareṣu kuruśreṣṭha gāthāṁ sukṛtināṁ vara ||

Translation

“Quả thật, để tìm chốn nương náu nơi đây, Prajāpati (Brahmā) thuở trước đã cất lên một bài gāthā. Hỡi bậc ưu tú nhất trong dòng Kuru, tại Puṣkara, Ngài đã thốt lời cách ngôn cao quý, ca ngợi những người công đức bậc nhất.”

Word by Word

अपिalso; even

अत्रhere

संश्रयार्थायfor the purpose of taking refuge/dwelling

प्रजापतिःPrajapati (the Lord of creatures)

अथthen; now

जगौsang; recited

पुष्करेषुin the Pushkaras (at Pushkara lakes/holy place)

कुरुश्रेष्ठO best of the Kurus

गाथाम्a gāthā; verse/chant

सुकृतिनाम्of the meritorious/virtuous

वरO excellent one; O best

Speaker

धौम्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

ध

धौम्य (Dhaumya)

प

प्रजापति / ब्रह्मा (Prajāpati/Brahmā)

प

पुष्कर (Puṣkara)

क

कुरुश्रेष्ठ (Kuruśreṣṭha—address to a Kuru prince)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Sacred places like Puṣkara are portrayed as legitimate refuges for those seeking spiritual shelter; the verse frames residence/approach to a tīrtha as connected with merit (sukṛta) and dharmic aspiration.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhaumya introduces an authoritative saying: he tells the addressed Kuru prince that Prajāpati (Brahmā) once recited a gāthā at Puṣkara, setting up a quotation that will praise the meritorious and explain the sanctity of the place.