Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga
Pulastya’s Instruction
ऋषीणामवकाश: स्याद् यथा तुष्टिकरो महान् । तस्मिन् कुण्जे नरः स्नात्वा अग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत्,वह ऋषियोंका स्थान है, जो उनके लिये महान् संतोषजनक है। उस कुंजमें स्नान करके मनुष्य अग्निष्टोमयज्ञका फल पाता है
ṛṣīṇām avakāśaḥ syād yathā tuṣṭikaro mahān | tasmin kuñje naraḥ snātvā agniṣṭomaphalaṁ labhet |
Ghūlastya said: “This grove is a proper sanctuary for the sages—greatly pleasing and satisfying to them. A person who bathes in this thicket attains the merit equivalent to the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice.”
घुलस्त्य उवाच
The verse affirms the sanctity of a place associated with sages: respectful approach to such a refuge and purification through bathing there is said to yield great spiritual merit—comparable to performing a major Vedic sacrifice—highlighting purity, reverence, and the ethical value of honoring holy spaces.
The speaker identifies a particular grove as a cherished abode of sages and declares the spiritual benefit of bathing there, presenting it as a tīrtha-like site where a simple act of purification grants the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice.