तत्रोदधेः कं चिद् अतीत्य देशं; ख्यातं पृथिव्यां वनम् आससाद ॥
तप्तं सुरैर् यत्र तपः पुरस्ताद्; इष्टं तथा पुण्यतमैर् नरेन्द्रैः ॥
स तत्र ताम् अग्र्यधनुर्धरस्य; वेदीं ददर्शायतपीनबाहुः ॥
ऋचीकपुत्रस्य तपस्विसंघैः; समावृतां पुण्यकृद् अर्चनीयाम् ॥
ततो वसूनां वसुधाधिपः स; मरुद्गणानां च तथाश्विनोश् च ॥
वैवस्वतादित्यधनेश्वराणाम्; इन्द्रस्य विष्णोः सवितुर् विभोश् च ॥
भगस्य चन्द्रस्य दिवाकरस्य; पतेर् अपां साध्यगणस्य चैव ॥
धातुः पितॄणां च तथा महात्मा; रुद्रस्य राजन् सगणस्य चैव ॥
सरस्वत्याः सिद्धगणस्य चैव; पूष्णश् च ये चाप्य् अमरास् तथान्ये ॥
पुण्यानि चाप्य् आयतनानि तेषां; ददर्श राजा सुमनोहराणि ॥
तेषूपवासान् विविधान् उपोष्य; दत्त्वा च रत्नानि महाधनानि ॥
तीर्थेषु सर्वेषु परिप्लुताङ्गः; पुनः स शूर्पारकम् आजगाम ॥
स तेन तीर्थेन तु सागरस्य; पुनः प्रयातः सह सोदरीयैः ॥
द्विजैः पृथिव्यां प्रथितं महद्भिस्; तीर्थं प्रभासं समुपाजगाम ॥
तत्राभिषिक्तः पृथुलोहिताक्षः; सहानुजैर् देवगणान् पितॄंश् च ॥
संतर्पयाम् आस तथैव कृष्णा; ते चापि विप्राः सह लोमशेन ॥
स द्वादशाहं जलवायुभक्षः; कुर्वन् क्षपाहःसु तदाभिषेकम् ॥
समन्ततो ऽग्नीन् उपदीपयित्वा; तेपे तपो धर्मभृतां वरिष्ठः ॥
tatrodadheḥ kaṃ cid atītya deśaṃ; khyātaṃ pṛthivyāṃ vanam āsasāda ||
taptaṃ surair yatra tapaḥ purastād; iṣṭaṃ tathā puṇyatamair narendraiḥ ||
sa tatra tām agryadhanurdharasya; vedīṃ dadarśāyatapīnabāhuḥ ||
ṛcīkaputrasya tapasvisaṃghaiḥ; samāvṛtāṃ puṇyakṛd arcanīyām ||
tato vasūnāṃ vasudhādhipaḥ sa; marudgaṇānāṃ ca tathāśvinoś ca ||
vaivasvatādityadhaneśvarāṇām; indrasya viṣṇoḥ savitur vibhoś ca ||
bhagasya candrasya divākarasya; pater apāṃ sādhyagaṇasya caiva ||
dhātuḥ pitṝṇāṃ ca tathā mahātmā; rudrasya rājan sagaṇasya caiva ||
sarasvatyāḥ siddhagaṇasya caiva; pūṣṇaś ca ye cāpy amarās tathānye ||
puṇyāni cāpy āyatanāni teṣāṃ; dadarśa rājā sumanoharāṇi ||
teṣūpavāsān vividhān upoṣya; dattvā ca ratnāni mahādhanāni ||
tīrtheṣu sarveṣu pariplutāṅgaḥ; punaḥ sa śūrpārakam ājagāma ||
sa tena tīrthena tu sāgarasya; punaḥ prayātaḥ saha sodarīyaiḥ ||
dvijaiḥ pṛthivyāṃ prathitaṃ mahadbhis; tīrthaṃ prabhāsaṃ samupājagāma ||
tatrābhiṣiktaḥ pṛthulohitākṣaḥ; sahānujair devagaṇān pitṝṃś ca ||
saṃtarpayām āsa tathaiva kṛṣṇā; te cāpi viprāḥ saha lomaśena ||
sa dvādaśāhaṃ jalavāyubhakṣaḥ; kurvan kṣapāhaḥsu tadābhiṣekam ||
samantato 'gnīn upadīpayitvā; tepe tapo dharmabhṛtāṃ variṣṭhaḥ ||
Having crossed a certain part of the shore of the ocean, he reached a forest famed on earth, where formerly the gods performed austerities and the holiest kings offered sacrifices. There the long-armed and broad-shouldered one beheld the altar of the best of archers, the son of Richika, surrounded by assemblies of ascetics, worthy of worship by the pious. Then the lord of the earth beheld the beautiful holy abodes of the Vasus, the Maruts, the Ashvins, Vaivasvata, the Adityas, Dhaneshvara, Indra, Vishnu, lord Savitar, Bhaga, the Moon, the Sun, the lord of waters, the Sadhyas, Dhatar, the ancestors, the great Rudra with his host, Sarasvati, the host of siddhas, Pushan, and other immortals. In these places he observed various fasts, gave jewels and great wealth, bathed his body in all the tirthas, and came again to Shurparaka. From this ocean tirtha he set out once more with his brothers and the great brahmins toward the great, world-renowned holy place of Prabhasa. There, the broad red-eyed one, having bathed together with his brothers, satisfied the hosts of gods and ancestors; so too did Krishna, and the brahmins together with Lomasha. For twelve days he subsisted on water and air, performed his ablutions day and night, kindled fires all around, and practiced austerities, the foremost among the upholders of dharma.'
933a67b5ac7c · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:02:54 PM UTC
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The road to Prabhasa gathers a multitude of divine presences, but Yudhishthira does not turn them into a list of merits: he answers with fasting, gifts, and austerity.