Shloka 11

Brāhmaṇya-प्रश्नः — The Inquiry into Attaining Brāhmaṇya

Mataṅga–Gardabhī Itihāsa

Devanagari script

इन्द्रतोयां समासाद्य गन्धमादनसंनिधौ

Transliteration

indratoyāṃ samāsādya gandhamādana-sannidhau | gandhamādana-parvate nikaṭa indratoyā-nadīṃ ca kuraṅga-kṣetra-antar-gatāṃ kartoyā-nadīṃ ca saṃyata-cittaḥ śuddha-bhāvena snātvā trīṇi rātrāṇy upavāsī manuṣyaḥ aśvamedha-yajñasya phalaṃ prāpnoti |

Translation

Dijo Ajadriya: Quien acude al río Indratoyā, junto al monte Gandhamādana, y también al río Karatoyā dentro de la región de Kuraṅga, y se baña allí con la mente disciplinada y la intención purificada, y luego ayuna durante tres noches—ese hombre alcanza el mérito (fruto) de haber realizado el sacrificio Aśvamedha.

Word by Word

• इन्द्रतोयाम्: the Indratoyā (river)
• इन्द्रतोयाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रतोया
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• समासाद्य: having reached/approached
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund)

• गन्धमादन-संनिधौ: in the vicinity of Gandhamādana
• गन्धमादन-संनिधौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धमादन-संनिधि
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

अजड्रिय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Ajadriya
• Indratoyā river
• Gandhamādana mountain
• Kartoyā river
• Kuranga region (Kuraṅga-kṣetra)
• Aśvamedha sacrifice

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that great religious merit is not only tied to costly royal rituals; disciplined conduct—purity of intention, mental restraint, sacred bathing, and a short but sincere fast—can yield merit comparable to the Aśvamedha.

What is happening in the narrative?

Ajadriya describes specific sacred rivers and locations (Indratoyā near Gandhamādana, and Kartoyā in the Kuranga region) and prescribes a tirtha-observance: bathe there with a purified mind and then fast for three nights to obtain the fruit of an Aśvamedha.