Shloka 189
Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga
Pulastya’s Instruction
ततः कन्याश्रमं गच्छेन्नियतो ब्रह्मचर्यवान् | त्रिरात्रोपोषितो राजन् नियतो नियताशन:
tataḥ kanyāśramaṃ gacchen niyato brahmacaryavān | trirātropoṣito rājan niyato niyatāśanaḥ ||
तत्पश्चात्, हे राजन्, संयमी और ब्रह्मचर्य में स्थित होकर वह कन्या के आश्रम को जाए। तीन रात उपवास करके, इन्द्रियों को वश में रख, अल्पाहारी और शुद्ध भाव से वह वहाँ पहुँचे।
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes that approaching a significant encounter or undertaking should be preceded by ethical discipline: brahmacarya (chastity), fasting, and regulated conduct. Inner restraint and purification are presented as prerequisites for right action.
The speaker instructs the king about the proper procedure: the person should go to the maiden’s hermitage only after observing a three-night fast and maintaining strict self-control and moderated diet, indicating a formal, dharma-guided approach.