Shloka 81
युधिष्ठिरस्य अर्जुनप्रेषण-युक्तिवर्णनम् | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rationale for Sending Arjuna and Request to Dhaumya
गोमतीगड़्योश्वैव संगमे लोकविश्रुते । अग्निष्टोममवाप्रोति कुलं चैव समुद्धरेत्
gomatīgaṅgayoś caiva saṅgame lokaviśrute | agniṣṭomam avāpnoti kulaṃ caiva samuddharet ||
Pulastya said: Near the world-renowned confluence of the Gomati and the Ganga lies a rare sacred ford associated with the sage Mārkaṇḍeya. By going there, a person gains the merit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice and thereby uplifts and redeems one’s lineage—showing that pilgrimage undertaken with reverence can purify not only the individual but also the family line through dharmic merit.
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
A revered tīrtha, especially at a famous river confluence, is said to confer the merit of great Vedic rites like the Agniṣṭoma; such dharmic merit can elevate not only the pilgrim but also their lineage, emphasizing responsibility to family and tradition through righteous acts.
Ghūlastya is describing a specific sacred place near the confluence of the Gomati and Ganga, identified with the sage Mārkaṇḍeya, and he explains the spiritual reward of visiting it: the fruit of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice and the uplift of one’s family line.