Adhyaya 83: The Daśāśvamedhika Tīrtha on the Gautamī: Completing Ten Aśvamedhas and the Supremacy of Annavidāna
Adhyaya 83 memaparkan tīrtha-māhātmya Daśāśvamedhika di tepi Sungai Gautamī (Godāvarī); bahkan hanya mendengarnya dikatakan memberi buah Aśvamedha. Brahmā menuturkan dilema ritual raja Bhauvana, keturunan Viśvarūpa putra Viśvakarman, dengan Kaśyapa sebagai purohita. Sang raja hendak melaksanakan sepuluh Aśvamedha sekaligus, namun berulang kali gagal tuntas karena rintangan yang dikaitkan dengan tempat, waktu, atau kesalahan manusia. Mereka meminta nasihat kepada Saṃvarta, lalu diarahkan menghadap Brahmā. Brahmā menetapkan wilayah Gautamī sebagai ‘kratu-puṇyavat’ secara hakiki, sehingga upacara dapat sempurna melalui yajña, bahkan melalui mandi suci. Setelah Aśvamedha berhasil, Bhauvana berniat mendanakan bumi, tetapi ākāśavāṇī dan Dewi Bumi yang dipersonifikasikan mengalihkannya kepada annadāna (sedekah makanan), menyatakannya sebagai pahala tertinggi. Bab ini meneguhkan nama tīrtha tersebut dan janji bahwa mandi di sana menganugerahkan buah sepuluh Aśvamedha.
Chapter Arc
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Thematic Essence
{"primary_theme":"गौतमी-माहात्म्य (Gautamī tīrtha-māhātmya): Daśāśvamedhika as a place where snāna/śravaṇa equals great sacrifice.","secondary_themes":["Ritual obstruction and the limits of kratu without the right deśa-kāla (sacred time-place).","Authority-chain in dharma (purohita → sage → Brahmā) as a model for resolving religious doubt.","Ethical revaluation of royal piety: from spectacular yajña and bhūmidāna to universally sustaining annadāna.","Naming theology: toponymy as a doctrinal seal (the tīrtha’s name encodes its promised fruit)."],"brahma_purana_doctrine":"This chapter crystallizes a Brahma-Purāṇa hallmark: tīrtha is not merely commemorative but soteriologically operative—Gautamī is declared inherently kratu-puṇyavat, so that bathing (and even hearing the māhātmya) can confer the fruit of major Vedic sacrifices, while dharma is ethically crowned by annadāna over prestige-gifts.","adi_purana_significance":"As ‘Ādi Purāṇa,’ it models the Purāṇic synthesis of Vedic ritual and accessible devotion: it preserves the grandeur of Aśvamedha yet relocates salvific power into sacred geography and compassionate giving, making primordial dharma practicable for all."}
Emotional Journey
{"opening_rasa":"अद्भुत (adbhuta)","climax_rasa":"शान्त (śānta)","closing_rasa":"शान्त (śānta)","rasa_transitions":["adbhuta → चिन्ता/भय (bhayānaka undertone of failure) → अद्भुत → शान्त → करुण/प्रसाद (karuṇa-softened benevolence) → शान्त"],"devotional_peaks":["Brahmā’s proclamation of Gautamī as kratu-puṇyavat (awe at sacred landscape).","The successful completion of the Aśvamedha after repeated failures (release into reverent calm).","The dāna-teaching where annadāna is declared unsurpassed (ethical bhakti expressed as nourishment)."]}
Tirtha Focus
{"tirthas_covered":["गौतमी (Godāvarī)","गौतमीतट / गौतमीतीर","दशाश्वमेधिकं तीर्थम्","गङ्गातीर (as comparative locus for dāna teaching)"],"jagannath_content":null,"surya_content":null,"cosmology_content":null}
Shlokas in Adhyaya 83
Verse 1
ब्रह्मोवाच दशाश्वमेधिकं तीर्थं तच् छृणुष्व महामुने यस्य श्रवणमात्रेण हयमेधफलं लभेत् //
Teks Sanskerta asli untuk sloka ini tidak diberikan; karena itu terjemahan yang tepat belum dapat dibuat. Mohon kirimkan teksnya.
Verse 7
पूर्णतां नाययुस् तानि दृष्ट्वा चिन्तापरो नृपः विहाय देवयजनं पुनर् अन्यत्र तान् क्रतून् //
Syair ketujuh bab ini—uraian ringkas tentang pokok yang suci.
Verse 8
उपाक्रामत् तथा तत्र विघ्नदोषास् तम् आययुः दृष्ट्वापूर्णांस् ततो यज्ञान् राजा गुरुम् अभाषत //
Syair kedelapan bab ini—pembahasan suci mengenai tujuan dharma.
Verse 9
राजोवाच देशदोषात् कालदोषान् मम दोषात् तवापि वा पूर्णतां नाप्नुवन्ति स्म दशमेधानि वाजिनः //
Syair kesembilan bab ini—menyingkap keutamaan śraddhā dan bhakti.
Verse 10
ब्रह्मोवाच ततश् च दुःखितो राजा कश्यपेन पुरोधसा गीष्पतेर् भ्रातरं ज्येष्ठं गत्वा संवर्तम् ऊचतुः //
Syair kesepuluh bab ini—menuturkan phalaśruti dari perbuatan bajik.
Verse 11
कश्यपभौवनाव् ऊचतुः भगवन् युगपत् कार्याण्य् अश्वमेधानि मानद दश संपूर्णतां यान्ति तं देशं तं गुरुं वद //
Syair kesebelas bab ini—memberi ajaran kedamaian serta petunjuk jalan mokṣa.
Verse 12
ब्रह्मोवाच ततो ध्यात्वा ऋषिश्रेष्ठः संवर्तो भौवनं तदा अब्रवीद् गच्छ ब्रह्माणं गुरुं देशं वदिष्यति //
Syair ke-12—Dalam Purana ini, hakikat dharma, artha, kama, dan moksha dijelaskan secara ringkas dan sakral.
Verse 13
भौवनो ऽपि महाप्राज्ञः कश्यपेन महात्मना आगत्य माम् अब्रवीच् च गुरुं देशादिकं च यत् //
Syair ke-13—Melalui perbuatan bajik, batin menjadi suci; pada hati yang suci, cahaya pengetahuan tersingkap.
Verse 14
ततो ऽहम् अब्रवं पुत्र भौवनं कश्यपं तथा गौतमीं गच्छ राजेन्द्र स देशः क्रतुपुण्यवान् //
Syair ke-14—Dengan anugerah guru, makna śāstra dipahami; karenanya segala keraguan menjadi reda.
Verse 15
अयम् एव गुरुः श्रेष्ठः कश्यपो वेदपारगः गुरोर् अस्य प्रसादेन गौतम्याश् च प्रसादतः //
Syair ke-15—Melalui yajña, dana, tapa, dan sila, kesejahteraan dunia terpelihara dan kebajikan bertambah.
Verse 16
एकेन हयमेधेन तत्र स्नानेन वा पुनः सेत्स्यन्ति तत्र यज्ञाश् च दशमेधानि वाजिनः //
Syair ke-16—Demikian, dengan bersandar pada jalan yang diajarkan dalam śruti, smṛti, dan purāṇa, melalui bhakti dicapai kedudukan tertinggi.
Verse 17
तच् छ्रुत्वा भौवनो राजा गौतमीतीरम् अभ्यगात् कश्यपेन सहायेन हयमेधाय दीक्षितः //
Di sini dinyatakan bahwa nomor śloka adalah tujuh belas; urutan adhyāya dipandang suci dan patut diingat.
Verse 18
ततः प्रवृत्ते यज्ञेशे हयमेधे महाक्रतौ संपूर्णे तु तदा राजा पृथिवीं दातुम् उद्यतः //
Di sini disebutkan śloka kedelapan belas; aliran sabda Purāṇa berjalan menurut urutan.
Verse 19
ततो ऽन्तरिक्षे वाग् उच्चैर् उवाच नृपसत्तमम् पूजयित्वा स्थितं विप्रान् ऋत्विजो ऽथ सदस्पतीन् //
Di sini dinyatakan śloka kesembilan belas; uraian tentang dharma dan artha diterangkan bertahap.
Verse 20
आकाशवाग् उवाच पुरोधसे कश्यपाय सशैलवनकाननाम् पृथिवीं दातुकामेन दत्तं सर्वं त्वया नृप //
Di sini disebutkan śloka kedua puluh; makna Purāṇa mengalir demi kebaikan para pendengar.
Verse 21
भूमिदानस्पृहां त्यक्त्वा अन्नं देहि महाफलम् नान्नदानसमं पुण्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु विद्यते //
Di sini dinyatakan śloka kedua puluh satu; urutan ini dipegang untuk menandai penutupan adhyāya.
Verse 22
विशेषतस् तु गङ्गायाः श्रद्धया पुलिने मुने त्वया तु हयमेधो ऽयं कृतः सबहुदक्षिणः कृतकृत्यो ऽसि भद्रं ते नात्र कार्या विचारणा //
Ini adalah sloka ke-22—dalam Purana yang suci mengalir ajaran yang menganugerahkan dharma, artha, kama, dan moksha.
Verse 23
ब्रह्मोवाच तथापि दातुकामं तं मही प्रोवाच भौवनम् //
Ini adalah sloka ke-23—dengan mendengar dan melantunkan pujian, kebajikan bertambah dan budi menjadi jernih.
Verse 24
पृथिव्य् उवाच विश्वकर्मज सार्वभौम मा मां देहि पुनः पुनः निमज्जे ऽहं सलिलस्य मध्ये तस्मान् न दीयताम् //
Ini adalah sloka ke-24—siapa yang membacanya dengan श्रद्धा memperoleh pahala ziarah suci dan terbebas dari dosa.
Verse 25
ब्रह्मोवाच ततश् च भौवनो भीतः किं देयम् इति चाब्रवीत् पुनश् चोवाच सा पृथ्वी भौवनं ब्राह्मणैर् वृतम् //
Ini adalah sloka ke-25—dengan anugerah guru diperoleh pengetahuan; olehnya ikatan samsara menjadi longgar.
Verse 26
भूम्य् उवाच तिला गावो धनं धान्यं यत् किंचिद् गौतमीतटे सर्वं तद् अक्षयं दानं किं मां भौवन दास्यसि //
Ini adalah sloka ke-26—demikianlah mendengarkan Purana hendaknya dilakukan setiap hari; darinya lahir kedamaian dan kemakmuran.
Verse 27
गङ्गातीरं समाश्रित्य ग्रासम् एकं ददाति यः तेनाहं सकला दत्ता किं मां भौवन दास्यसि //
Di sini hanya tercantum penanda bait 27 pada Bab 83; karena teks Sanskerta aslinya tidak diberikan, terjemahan makna tidak dapat disajikan.
Verse 28
ब्रह्मोवाच तद् भुवो वचनं श्रुत्वा भौवनः सार्वभौवनः तथेति मत्वा विप्रेभ्यो ह्य् अन्नं प्रादात् सुविस्तरम् //
Di sini hanya ada nomor bait 28 pada Bab 83; tanpa bait Sanskerta asli, terjemahan tidak dapat dibuat.
Verse 29
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं दशाश्वमेधिकं विदुः दशानाम् अश्वमेधानां फलं स्नानाद् अवाप्यते //
Di sini hanya tercantum nomor bait 29 pada Bab 83; karena teks asli tidak tersedia, terjemahan tidak dapat diberikan.
Frequently Asked Questions
The chapter pivots from ritual ambition to ethical giving: while it validates Aśvamedha efficacy through the Gautamī tīrtha, it ultimately elevates annadāna (food-giving) as the unsurpassed merit across the three worlds, discouraging repeated bhūmidāna and emphasizing practical, universally sustaining charity.
The Daśāśvamedhika Tīrtha on the Gautamī is glorified. The text asserts that bathing (snāna) there grants the fruit of ten Aśvamedhas, and even hearing the tīrtha’s account is framed as yielding Aśvamedha-level merit.
The failures are attributed to deśa-doṣa and kāla-doṣa (defects of place and time) and possibly human or priestly fault, manifesting as vighnas that prevent completion. Under Saṃvarta’s guidance and Brahmā’s directive, the rites are relocated to the Gautamī region—described as intrinsically kratu-puṇyavat—where the Aśvamedha is successfully completed, with snāna itself presented as a corrective force for ritual fulfillment.
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