Shloka 101

Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga

Pulastya’s Instruction

Devanagari script

मृगधूमं ततो गच्छेत्‌ त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम्‌ तत्राभिषेकं कुर्वीत गज्जायां नृपसत्तम,नृपश्रेष्ठ तदनन्तर तीनों लोकोंमें विख्यात मृगधूम-तीर्थमें जाय और वहाँ गंगाजीमें स्नान करे

Transliteration

mṛgadhūmaṃ tato gacchet triṣu lokeṣu viśrutam | tatrābhiṣekaṃ kurvīta gaṅgāyāṃ nṛpasattama ||

Translation

Ghūlastya dijo: «Luego debes dirigirte al vado sagrado llamado Mṛgadhūma, célebre en los tres mundos. Allí, oh, el mejor de los reyes, realiza el baño purificador (abhiṣeka) en el Gaṅgā».

Word by Word

• मृगधूमम्: to (the tirtha named) Mṛgadhūma
• मृगधूमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगधूम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• त्रिषु: in the three
• त्रिषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• लोकेषु: worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• विश्रुतम्: well-known, renowned
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-श्रु (धातु) → विश्रुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तत्र: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)

• अभिषेकम्: ablution, bathing (ritual bath)
• अभिषेकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिषेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कुर्वीत: should perform, should do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• गङ्गायाम्: in the Gaṅgā (river)
• गङ्गायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपसत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Ghūlastya
• Mṛgadhūma-tīrtha
• Gaṅgā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes tīrtha-yātrā as a dharmic discipline: approaching a renowned sacred place and undertaking ritual purification (bathing in the Gaṅgā) as a means of inner and outer cleansing, undertaken with reverence and self-restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker named Ghūlastya is directing a king on the next step of a pilgrimage itinerary: to go to the famed Mṛgadhūma tīrtha and perform the prescribed bath in the Gaṅgā there.