Shloka 173
Adhyāya 284: Tapas as a Corrective to Household Attachment
Parāśara’s Instruction
चतुष्पथेषु रथ्यासु चत्वरेषु तटेषु च । हस्त्यश्वरथशालासु जीर्णोद्यानालयेषु च,नदी, समुद्र, पर्वत, गुहा, वृक्षोंकी जड़, गोशाला, दुर्गण पथ, वन, चौराहे, सड़क, चौतरे, किनारे, हस्तिशाला, अश्वशाला, रथशाला, पुराने बगीचे, जीर्ण गृह, पञ्चभूत, दिशा, विदिशा, चन्द्रमा, सूर्य तथा उन-उनकी किरणोंमें, रसातलमें और उससे भित्न स्थानोंमें भी जो अधिष्ठातृ देवताके रूपमें व्याप्त हैं, उन सबको सदा नमस्कार है, नमस्कार है, नमस्कार है
catuṣpatheṣu rathyāsu catvareṣu taṭeṣu ca | hasty-aśva-rathaśālāsu jīrṇodyānālayeṣu ca ||
Bhishma said: Salutations—again and again—to the presiding divine powers that pervade every place: at crossroads and in streets, in public squares and on riverbanks; in the stables of elephants, horses, and chariots; and in old gardens and dilapidated dwellings. Reverence is due everywhere, for sacred guardianship is not confined to temples alone, but spreads through all directions and all realms, urging one to live with constant awareness, restraint, and respect in every setting.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That the divine presence (as presiding guardians of places) pervades all locations—public, ordinary, and neglected—so one should maintain reverence, purity of conduct, and ethical awareness everywhere, not only in explicitly sacred spaces.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma enumerates many kinds of places and offers repeated salutations to the presiding deities associated with them, framing a practice of universal reverence and disciplined conduct in daily life.