Shloka 165

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

Pulastya’s Instruction

Devanagari script

सैनापत्येन देवानामभिषिक्तो गुहस्तदा । तैजसस्य तु पूर्वेण कुरुतीर्थ कुरूद्वह,वहीं तैजस नामक वरुणदेवतासम्बन्धी तीर्थ है, जो अपने तेजसे प्रकाशित होता है। जहाँ ब्रह्मा आदि देवताओं तथा तपस्वी ऋषियोंने कार्तिकेयको देवसेना-पतिके पदपर अभिषिक्त किया था। कुरुश्रेष्ठ! तैजसतीर्थके पूर्वभागमें कुरुतीर्थ है

Transliteration

senāpatyena devānām abhiṣikto guhas tadā | taijasasya tu pūrveṇa kurutīrtha kurūdvaha ||

Translation

Entonces Guhā (Kārttikeya) fue consagrado por los dioses al cargo de comandante de sus huestes. Oh, el mejor de los Kuru, al oriente del Taijasa-tīrtha se halla el Kuru-tīrtha: un vado sagrado asociado a Varuṇa y célebre por su esplendor auto-luminoso; allí Brahmā y otras deidades, junto con videntes ascetas, realizaron la unción de Kārttikeya como jefe del ejército divino.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'senāpatya', 'definition': 'commandership

• the office of commander-in-chief'}, {'term': 'devānām', 'definition': 'of the gods'}, {'term': 'abhiṣiktaḥ', 'definition': 'consecrated, anointed, installed (in office)'}, {'term': 'guhaḥ', 'definition': 'Guha

• a name of Kārttikeya/Skanda'}, {'term': 'tadā', 'definition': 'then, at that time'}, {'term': 'taijasasya', 'definition': "of Taijasa (the Taijasa-tīrtha)

• 'luminous, radiant' by sense"}, {'term': 'pūrveṇa', 'definition': 'to the east of

• in the eastern part'}, {'term': 'kurutīrtha', 'definition': 'Kuru-tīrtha

• a sacred bathing-place/ford'}, {'term': 'kurūdvaha', 'definition': 'O best of the Kurus (honorific address)'}]

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Guha (Kārttikeya/Skanda)
• Devas
• Taijasa-tīrtha
• Kuru-tīrtha
• Kuru (as lineage/address)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights the sanctity of tīrthas and the ethical idea that rightful authority—especially military leadership—should be established through legitimate consecration and divine/communal sanction, not mere force.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker points out sacred sites: Taijasa-tīrtha and, to its east, Kuru-tīrtha, recalling the mythic event where the gods anointed Guha (Kārttikeya) as their commander-in-chief.