Pulastya’s Tīrtha Enumeration: Sarasvatī, Naimiṣa, Gayā, and Associated Phalaśruti
Chapter 82
धर्मारण्यं हि तत् पुण्यमाद्यं च भरतर्षभ | यत्र प्रविष्टमात्रो वै सर्वपापै: प्रमुच्यते
dharmāraṇyaṃ hi tat puṇyam ādyaṃ ca bharatarṣabha | yatra praviṣṭamātro vai sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate ||
Ese bosque sagrado es, en verdad, el “Bosque del Dharma”: primigenio y santo, ¡oh toro entre los Bharatas! Con sólo entrar en él, al instante uno queda libre de todos los pecados.
घुलस्त्य उवाच
The verse teaches the purificatory power of sacred spaces associated with dharma: entering a holy region aligned with righteous conduct is portrayed as immediately cleansing moral taint, emphasizing repentance, renewal, and the transformative influence of dharmic environments.
A speaker (Ghūlastya) praises a particular sacred forest called Dharmāraṇya, addressing a Bharata hero with an honorific. The statement functions as guidance and encouragement, presenting the place as exceptionally ancient and holy, where mere entry grants release from sins.