Shloka 56

Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga

Pulastya’s Instruction

Devanagari script

ततोअप्बुमत्यां धर्मज्ञ सुतीर्थकमनुत्तमम्‌,धर्मज्ञ! वहाँसे अम्बुमतीमें, जो परम उत्तम तीर्थ है, जाय

Transliteration

tato ’mbumatyāṃ dharmajña sutīrthakam anuttamam | dharmajña! vahāṃse ’mbumatyāṃ, yo paramottamaṃ tīrthaṃ hai, jāya ||

Translation

Then, O knower of dharma, proceed to Ambumatī—an unsurpassed sacred ford, a tīrtha of supreme excellence. O righteous one, go from there to Ambumatī, renowned as the highest of holy places.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: from there; then
• tataḥ: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas
• Form: indeclinable (ablatival adverb: 'from there/then')

• ambumatyām: in Ambumatī (river/place)
• ambumatyām: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ambumatī
• Form: feminine, locative, singular

• dharmajña: O knower of dharma
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharmajña
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• sutīrthakam: a very good sacred ford (tīrtha)
• sutīrthakam: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-tīrthaka
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• anuttamam: unsurpassed; best
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anuttama
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular (agreeing with sutīrthakam)

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Ambumatī (tīrtha/place)
• Ghūlastya (speaker, as given)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes dharmic guidance through tīrtha-yātrā: a righteous person is directed toward an unsurpassed sacred place, implying that seeking holy sites and disciplined conduct supports ethical purification and merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker addresses a ‘knower of dharma’ and gives itinerary-like instruction to go to Ambumatī, praised as a supremely excellent tīrtha—part of the Vana Parva’s pilgrimage and sacred-geography sequence.