Shloka 49
Vyāsotpatti-kathana
Account of the Birth/Origin of Vyāsa
श्रीपर्वतादितीर्थानि धारातीर्थं तथैव च । गत्वावगाह्य विधिना चचार परमन्तपः
śrīparvatāditīrthāni dhārātīrthaṃ tathaiva ca | gatvāvagāhya vidhinā cacāra paramantapaḥ
He went to the sacred fords beginning with Śrīparvata, and also to Dhārā-tīrtha; bathing there according to the prescribed rite, that great ascetic—burning with intense tapas—continued his austere observances.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
FAQs
The verse highlights Śaiva purification through tīrtha-yātrā and ritual bathing, showing that disciplined observance (vidhi) joined to tapas refines the bound soul (paśu) and turns it toward Pati—Lord Śiva—who grants grace and liberation.
Tīrthas are understood as Śiva’s sacred presence in place; bathing by injunction prepares the devotee for Saguna worship—such as Liṅga-pūjā—by cleansing impurities and stabilizing devotion and concentration before approaching Śiva’s manifest form.
It suggests tīrtha-snana performed “vidhinā” (with proper rite), followed by sustained tapas—practically paired with japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), wearing rudrākṣa and applying tripuṇḍra as supporting Śaiva disciplines where appropriate.