Pulastya’s Tīrtha Enumeration: Sarasvatī, Naimiṣa, Gayā, and Associated Phalaśruti
Chapter 82
यो दरिद्रैरपि विधि: शक: प्राप्तुं नरेश्वर । तुल्यो यज्ञफलै: पुण्यैस्तं निबोध युधां वर,योद्धाओंमें श्रेष्ठ नरेश्वर! जो सत्कर्म दरिद्रलोग भी कर सकें और जो अपने पुण्योद्वारा यज्ञोंके समान फलप्रद हो सके, उसे बताता हूँ, सुनो
yo daridrair api vidhiḥ śakyaḥ prāptuṁ nareśvara | tulyo yajñaphalaiḥ puṇyais taṁ nibodha yudhāṁ vara ||
O king, best of warriors, I shall tell you of a righteous practice that even the poor can perform—one whose merit yields results equal to those of sacrificial rites. Listen and understand it well.
घुलस्त्य उवाच
True religious merit is not limited to costly sacrifices; there exists a dharmic practice accessible even to the poor that can yield merit comparable to yajña-results.
The speaker addresses a king and renowned warrior, introducing an instruction: a simple, attainable religious observance whose spiritual fruit equals that of elaborate sacrificial rites, and asks him to listen attentively.