Shloka 38
Description of the Pilgrimage to the Sacred Tīrthas
Kurukṣetra-yātrā-krama
प्रदक्षिणमुपावृत्य पुष्करं च ततो व्रजेत् । तत्र स्नात्वा पितॄन्प्रार्च्य कृतकृत्यो नरो भवेत् ॥ ३८ ॥
pradakṣiṇamupāvṛtya puṣkaraṃ ca tato vrajet | tatra snātvā pitṝnprārcya kṛtakṛtyo naro bhavet || 38 ||
Nachdem man die pradakṣiṇā (ehrfürchtige Umrundung) vollendet und zurückgekehrt ist, gehe man weiter nach Puṣkara. Dort wird man, nach dem Bad und der rechten Verehrung der Pitṛs (Ahnen), zu einem, dessen Pflichten erfüllt sind.
Narada (teaching in a tirtha-mahatmya context; traditional dialogue frame with Sanatkumara brothers)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It teaches that tīrtha-yātrā becomes spiritually complete when paired with right conduct: circumambulation, sacred bathing at Puṣkara, and honoring the Pitṛs—thus making one “kṛtakṛtya,” fulfilled in duty and merit.
Bhakti here is expressed through reverent action at a holy place—pradakṣiṇā, snāna, and worship—showing devotion as embodied practice that includes gratitude to lineage (Pitṛs) and respect for dharmic order.
It highlights kalpa/prayoga (ritual procedure): the ordered steps of pradakṣiṇā, tīrtha-snānā, and pitṛ-ārādhana (ancestral worship), which align with śrauta/smārta ritual discipline rather than grammar or astrology.