Shloka 14
Brāhmaṇya-प्रश्नः — The Inquiry into Attaining Brāhmaṇya
Mataṅga–Gardabhī Itihāsa
अपां हृद उपस्पृश्य वाजिमेधफलं लभेत् | ब्रह्मचारी जितक्रोध: सत्यसंधस्त्वहिंसक:,यदि कोई क्रोधहीन, सत्यप्रतिज्ञ और अहिंसक होकर ब्रह्मचर्यके पालनपूर्वक सलिलहद नामक तीर्थमें डुबकी लगाये तो उसे अश्वमेध यज्ञका फल मिलता है
apāṁ hṛda upaspṛśya vājimedha-phalaṁ labhet | brahmacārī jitakrodhaḥ satyasaṁdhas tv ahiṁsakaḥ |
By bathing in the sacred waters of the lake called Salilahada, one gains the merit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice—provided one lives as a brahmacārin, has conquered anger, is firmly vowed to truth, and is committed to non-violence.
अजड्रिय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that sacred acts like bathing at a tīrtha yield their highest merit only when grounded in ethical virtues—brahmacarya (disciplined continence), mastery over anger, truthfulness, and non-violence—thereby prioritizing inner character over mere external ritual.
A speaker (Ajadriya) describes the spiritual efficacy of a specific pilgrimage site, Salilahada, stating that a properly qualified practitioner who bathes there attains the merit equivalent to performing the grand Aśvamedha sacrifice.