Bharata Mahārāja’s Ideal Kingship and His Transition from Yajña to Exclusive Bhakti at Pulahāśrama
यत्राश्रमपदान्युभयतोनाभिभिर्दृषच्चक्रैश्चक्रनदी नाम सरित्प्रवरा सर्वत: पवित्रीकरोति ॥ १० ॥
yatrāśrama-padāny ubhayato nābhibhir dṛṣac-cakraiś cakra-nadī nāma sarit-pravarā sarvataḥ pavitrī-karoti.
في بُلاهاشرَما نهرٌ فاضل يُدعى «تشاكرا-نَدي»، وهو يطهّر كل المواضع بما يُنال فيه من شالاغراما-شيلا (الأحجار المقدّسة). وعلى كل حصاة تظهر دوائر كالسُّرّة من الأعلى والأسفل.
Śālagrāma-śilā refers to pebbles that appear like stones with circles marked up and down. These are available in the river known as Gaṇḍakī-nadī. Wherever the waters of this river flow, the place becomes immediately sanctified.
This verse describes the Cakranadī as a foremost river that purifies in every direction, showing that contact with a holy tīrtha is understood to cleanse one’s life and consciousness.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī narrates these details to Mahārāja Parīkṣit while describing the sacred regions connected with Bharata Mahārāja’s lineage and holy places.
By seeking purification through sādhana—hearing Bhagavatam, chanting the holy name, and honoring sacred places and practices with devotion—one cultivates inner cleanliness and God-centered living.