Shloka 110

Pulastya’s Tīrtha Enumeration: Sarasvatī, Naimiṣa, Gayā, and Associated Phalaśruti

Chapter 82

Devanagari script

गमनादेव राजेन्द्र दीर्घसत्रमरिंदम । राजसूयाश्चदमेधाभ्यां फलं प्राप्नोति भारत,शत्रुओंका दमन करनेवाले भरतवंशी राजेन्द्र! वहाँकी यात्रा करने मात्रसे मनुष्य राजसूय और अश्वमेध यज्ञोंक समान फल पाता है

Transliteration

gamanād eva rājendra dīrghasatram arindama | rājasūyāśvamedhābhyāṁ phalaṁ prāpnoti bhārata ||

Translation

Ghūlastya said: “O king, crusher of foes—O descendant of Bharata—by merely undertaking the journey to that sacred place, a person attains the same merit as that gained from the Rājasūya and the Aśvamedha sacrifices.”

Word by Word

गमनात्from (the act of) going; by the journey

एवindeed; merely

राजेन्द्रO king of kings

दीर्घसत्रम्a long sacrificial session (sattra)

अरिंदमO subduer of enemies

राजसूयात्from the Rājasūya (sacrifice); as (that) Rājasūya's

चand

अश्वमेधाभ्याम्by/with the two Aśvamedha sacrifices (i.e., by Rājasūya and Aśvamedha)

फलम्fruit; result

प्राप्नोतिattains; obtains

भारतO Bhārata (descendant of Bharata)

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Ghūlastya

Bhārata (descendant of Bharata)

Rājasūya sacrifice

Aśvamedha sacrifice

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 elevates tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage): sincere travel to a sacred place can yield merit comparable to the grand royal sacrifices (Rājasūya and Aśvamedha), emphasizing accessibility of spiritual attainment beyond costly rites.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker named Ghūlastya addresses a kingly Bhārata hero, praising a particular sacred destination and declaring that merely going there grants the fruit of major sacrifices, as part of the Vana Parva’s tīrtha-mahātmya (glorification of holy places).