Shloka 81
Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga
Pulastya’s Instruction
कलशीतीर्थमें जलका आचमन करके श्रद्धालु और जितेन्द्रिय मानव अग्निष्टोमयज्ञका फल पाता है ।। सरकस्य तु पूर्वेण नारदस्य महात्मन: । तीर्थ कुरुकुलश्रेष्ठ अम्बाजन्मेति विश्रुतम्,कुरुकुलश्रेष्ठ! सरकतीर्थके पूर्वमें महात्मा नारदका तीर्थ है, जो अम्बाजन्मके नामसे विख्यात है
kalaśītīrthe jalaṃ ācaman kṛtvā śraddhāvān jitendriyo manuṣyo ’gniṣṭomayajñasya phalaṃ prāpnoti || sarakasya tu pūrveṇa nāradasya mahātmanaḥ | tīrthaṃ kurukulaśreṣṭha ambājānmeti viśrutam ||
By sipping the water (ācamana) at Kalaśī-tīrtha with reverence, a self-controlled person is said to gain the merit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice. And, O best of the Kuru line, to the east of Saraka-tīrtha lies the sacred ford of the great sage Nārada, renowned by the name Ambājānma.
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that pilgrimage is not merely travel: when performed with śraddhā (reverence) and jitendriyatā (sense-control), even a simple purificatory act like ācamana can yield merit comparable to a major Vedic sacrifice (Agniṣṭoma).
Ghūlastya describes the spiritual benefits of specific tīrthas and locates them geographically: Kalaśī-tīrtha grants Agniṣṭoma-like merit, and east of Saraka-tīrtha lies Nārada’s famed tīrtha called Ambājānma.