Yāyāta Tīrtha is a holy place (tīrtha) on the river Sarasvatī. It is named for King Yayāti, the son of Nahusha, because he performed a great yajña (fire ritual) here. Yāyāta means “of Yayāti”.

The yajña of Yayāti

The tīrtha keeps alive the memory of the great yajña that Yayāti performed at this place. Yayāti was the son of King Nahusha and a famous ancestor-king of the Lunar dynasty. The Mahābhārata calls his yajña here a mahāyajña, a great yajña. Namuci is also named in connection with this tīrtha.

Balarāma at Yāyāta Tīrtha

Balarāma bathed here on his pilgrimage along the Sarasvatī towards the east. He gave the dakshiṇās (gifts to the priests) and the dānas (gifts) that the rite asks for.

Nearby places

Vasishṭhāpavāha lies in the same part of the Sarasvatī. This is the place where the Sarasvatī flowed with blood during the quarrel between Vasishṭha and Viśvāmitra. Balarāma also visited it on his pilgrimage.

Sources

Mahābhārata, Śalya Parva, Chapter 43