ब्रह्मनद्यां सरस्वत्यामाश्रमः पश्चिमे तटे ।
शम्याप्रास इति प्रोक्त ऋषीणां सत्रवर्धनः ॥२॥
sÅ«ta uvÄca
brahma-nadyÄá¹ sarasvatyÄm
ÄÅ›ramaḥ paÅ›cime taá¹e
Å›amyÄprÄsa iti prokta
ṛṣīṇÄá¹ satra-vardhanaḥ
1 times this text was mentioned in purports to other texts: LSB(1)
sÅ«taḥ - ÅšrÄ« SÅ«ta; uvÄca - said; brahma-nadyÄm - on the bank of the river intimately related with Vedas, brÄhmaṇas, saints, and the Lord; sarasvatyÄm - SarasvatÄ«; ÄÅ›ramaḥ - cottage for meditation; paÅ›cime - on the west; taá¹e - bank; Å›amyÄprÄsaḥ - the place named ÅšamyÄprÄsa; iti - thus; proktaḥ - said to be; ṛṣīṇÄm - of the sages; satra-vardhanaḥ - that which enlivens activities.
ÅšrÄ« SÅ«ta said: On the western bank of the river SarasvatÄ«, which is intimately related with the Vedas, there is a cottage for meditation at ÅšamyÄprÄsa which enlivens the transcendental activities of the sages.
For spiritual advancement of knowledge a suitable place and atmosphere are definitely required. The place on the western bank of the SarasvatÄ« is especially suitable for this purpose. And there is the ÄÅ›rama of VyÄsadeva at ÅšamyÄprÄsa. ÅšrÄ«la VyÄsadeva was a householder, yet his residential place is called an ÄÅ›rama. An ÄÅ›rama is a place where spiritual culture is always foremost. It does not matter whether the place belongs to a householder or a mendicant. The whole varṇÄÅ›rama system is so designed that each and every status of life is called an ÄÅ›rama. This means that spiritual culture is the common factor for all. The brahmacÄrÄ«s, the gá¹›hasthas, the vÄnaprasthas and the sannyÄsÄ«s all belong to the same mission of life, namely, realization of the Supreme. Therefore none of them are less important as far as spiritual culture is concerned. The difference is a matter of formality on the strength of renunciation. The sannyÄsÄ«s are held in high estimation on the strength of practical renunciation.
