Shloka 164

Devanagari script

संदेशादर्जुनस्यात्र तीर्थाभिगमनक्रिया । तीर्थानां च फलप्राप्ति: पुण्यत्वं चापि कीर्तितम्‌,इसी पर्वमें अर्जुनका संदेश पाकर पाण्डवोंने तीर्थयात्रा की। उन्हें तीर्थयात्राका फल प्राप्त हुआ और कौन तीर्थ कितने पुण्यप्रद होते हैं--इस बातका वर्णन हुआ है

Transliteration

saṁdeśād arjunasya atra tīrthābhigamanakriyā | tīrthānāṁ ca phalaprāptiḥ puṇyatvaṁ cāpi kīrtitam |

Translation

Here it is recounted that, upon receiving Arjuna’s message, the Pāṇḍavas undertook the prescribed practice of visiting sacred fords (tīrthas). They gained the spiritual fruits of pilgrimage, and the account also declares which tīrthas are especially meritorious and to what degree—showing that righteous action, done in the proper spirit, yields purifying results.

Word by Word

संदेशात्from the message

अर्जुनस्यof Arjuna

अत्रhere (in this section/context)

तीर्थाभिगमनक्रियाthe act of going to pilgrimage-places

तीर्थानाम्of the sacred places (tirthas)

चand

फलप्राप्तिःattainment of the fruit (result)

पुण्यत्वम्holiness/merit-producing nature

चand

अपिalso

कीर्तितम्was described/was mentioned

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Pāṇḍavas

Tīrthas (pilgrimage sites)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Righteous observances such as tīrtha-yātrā, undertaken in response to proper counsel and with disciplined intent, yield spiritual fruit (phala) and purification; the text underscores discernment about the varying merit (puṇyatva) of different sacred places.

What is happening in the narrative?

The passage summarizes that the Pāṇḍavas, prompted by a message from Arjuna, set out on pilgrimage to sacred tīrthas; it notes both the attainment of pilgrimage results and a description of the relative sanctity and merit of various tīrthas.