Shloka 25

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

Pulastya’s Instruction

Devanagari script

सम्मितं पुष्कराणां च स्नात्वार्च्य पितृदेवता: । जामदग्न्येन रामेण कृतं तत्‌ सुमहात्मना

Transliteration

sammitam puṣkarāṇāṁ ca snātvārcya pitṛdevatāḥ | jāmadagnyena rāmeṇa kṛtaṁ tat sumahātmanā ||

Translation

Tras bañarse en los sagrados Puṣkaras y rendir el debido culto a los antepasados y a los dioses, el magnánimo Rāma Jāmadagnya realizó allí el rito prescrito, con reverencia y disciplina en el dharma.

Word by Word

सम्मितम्measured/limited (in number)

पुष्कराणाम्of the Pushkaras (lakes/tirthas named Puṣkara)

चand

स्नात्वाhaving bathed

अर्च्यhaving worshipped

पितृदेवताःthe deities in the form of the Pitṛs / the Pitṛ-deities

जामदग्न्येनby Jāmadagnya (descendant of Jamadagni)

रामेणby Rāma (Paraśurāma)

कृतम्done/made

तत्that

सुमहात्मनाby the very great-souled one

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Puṣkara (tīrtha/sacred lakes)

Pitṛs (ancestors)

Devas (gods)

Rāma Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma)

Jamadagni (implied by patronymic)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic discipline: purification through bathing at a tīrtha and respectful worship of both ancestors (Pitṛs) and gods (Devas). Ethical life is shown as grounded in gratitude to one’s lineage and reverence for the divine order.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker recounts that Rāma Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma) went to the Puṣkara sacred waters, bathed, and performed worship for the Pitṛs and the gods, completing the appropriate rite there as a great-souled ascetic-warrior.