Shloka 171
Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga
Pulastya’s Instruction
तत्रैव च महाराज विश्वेश्वरमुमापतिम् । अभिगम्य महादेवं मुच्यते सर्वकिल्बिषै:,महाराज! वहीं विश्वनाथ उमावल्लभ महादेवजीका स्थान है। वहाँकी यात्रा करके मनुष्य सब पापोंसे छूट जाता है
tatraiva ca mahārāja viśveśvaram umāpatim | abhigamya mahādevaṃ mucyate sarvakilbiṣaiḥ ||
“Right there, O great king, is the sacred abode of Mahādeva—Viśveśvara, the Lord of Umā. By going to him and approaching in reverence, a person is released from all stains of wrongdoing.”
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches the purificatory power of sincere pilgrimage and reverent approach to Śiva (Mahādeva): devotion expressed through going to a sacred place and seeking the deity is said to cleanse one of moral taints (kilbiṣa), reinforcing a dharmic ideal of repentance, humility, and spiritual renewal.
A speaker addresses the king and points out a specific sacred site associated with Śiva—named Viśveśvara and Umāpati—stating that visiting and approaching Mahādeva there brings release from sins. It functions as a tirtha-mahātmya-style statement within the Vana Parva’s pilgrimage context.