Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 50
Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
इन्द्र बोले--मुने! मनुष्यको चाहिये कि कुरुक्षेत्र, गया, गंगा, प्रभास और पुष्करक्षेत्रका मन-ही-मन चिन्तन करके जलमें स्नान करे। ऐसा करनेसे वह पापसे उसी प्रकार मुक्त हो जाता है, जैसे चन्द्रमा राहुके ग्रहणसे ।।
śakra uvāca—mune! manuṣyena kuru-kṣetra-gayā-gaṅgā-prabhāsa-puṣkara-kṣetrāṇāṃ manasā smaraṇaṃ kṛtvā jale snānaṃ kartavyam; evaṃ kṛte sa pāpāt tathā mucyate yathā candramā rāhu-grahaṇāt. tryahaṃ snātaḥ sa bhavati, nirāhāraś ca vartate; spṛśate yo gavāṃ pṛṣṭham, bālārddhiṃ ca namasyati.
Śakra (Indra) dijo: «Oh sabio, el hombre debe bañarse en el agua mientras, en su mente, contempla los campos sagrados de Kurukṣetra, Gayā, el Gaṅgā, Prabhāsa y Puṣkara. Al hacerlo, queda libre del pecado, así como la luna es liberada del eclipse de Rāhu. Llega a ser como quien se ha bañado durante tres días; vive sin alimento; y quien toca el lomo de las vacas y se inclina en reverencia alcanza el mérito declarado.»
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
Mental remembrance of major tīrthas while bathing is presented as a powerful means of purification, capable of removing sin like the moon’s release from an eclipse; reverence and gentle contact with cows is also treated as meritorious.
Indra (Śakra) addresses a sage and describes a dharmic practice: bathing accompanied by inward contemplation of renowned sacred places, explaining its expiatory effect and adding associated acts of merit such as fasting-like discipline and honoring cows.