Shloka 22

Brāhmaṇya-प्रश्नः — The Inquiry into Attaining Brāhmaṇya

Mataṅga–Gardabhī Itihāsa

Devanagari script

महागड़्मुपस्पृश्य कृत्तिकाड्रारके तथा | पक्षमेकं निराहार: स्वर्गमाप्रोति निर्मल:,महागड़ा और कृतिकाज्ञारक तीर्थमें स्नान करके एक पक्षतक निराहार रहनेवाला मनुष्य निर्मल--निष्पाप होकर स्वर्गलोकमें जाता है

Transliteration

Mahāgaḍam upaspṛśya Kṛttikāḍrārake tathā | pakṣam ekaṁ nirāhāraḥ svargam āpnoti nirmalaḥ ||

Translation

Ajadriya said: “Having bathed at the sacred ford called Mahāgaḍa, and likewise at Kṛttikāḍrāraka, a person who then lives without food for a fortnight becomes purified—free from sin—and attains the heavenly world.”

Word by Word

महागडम्the (tirtha) Mahāgaḍa

उपस्पृश्यhaving bathed/touched water (performed ablution)

कृत्तिकाड्रारकेat/in the Kṛttikāḍrāraka (tīrtha)

तथाand likewise/also

पक्षम्a fortnight

एकम्one

निराहारःfasting; without food

स्वर्गम्heaven

आप्नोतिattains

निर्मलःpure

Speaker

अजड्रिय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Ajadriya

Mahāgaḍa tīrtha

Kṛttikāḍrāraka tīrtha

Svarga (heaven)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that disciplined austerity (fasting for a fortnight) combined with tīrtha-bathing is presented as a powerful means of purification and the accumulation of merit, culminating in the reward of heaven.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker named Ajadriya is enumerating the spiritual fruits of visiting specific sacred bathing places (Mahāgaḍa and Kṛttikāḍrāraka) and observing a prescribed vow—here, a fortnight-long fast—describing the resulting purity and heavenly attainment.