Shloka 96
युधिष्ठिरस्य अर्जुनप्रेषण-युक्तिवर्णनम् | Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rationale for Sending Arjuna and Request to Dhaumya
तत्र स्नात्वा नरव्याप्र दृष्टमेतत् पुरातनै: । जहाँ बाँबीका जल है
tatra snātvā naravyāghra dṛṣṭam etat purātanaiḥ | yatra bāmbīkā jalaṃ tatraitasya dūrī ṣaṭ śamyānipātaḥ—iti niścitaṃ māpaṃ proktam | narāśreṣṭha! tasmin tīrthe snānena manuṣyāya sahasra-kapilā-dānasya aśvamedha-yajñasya ca phalaṃ prāpyate; etat prācīnair ṛṣibhiḥ pratyakṣam anubhūtam | kṛṣṇa-śuklau ubhau pakṣau gayāyāṃ yo vasen naraḥ | punāty asaptamaṃ rājan kulaṃ nāsty atra saṃśayaḥ ||
Ghūlastya berkata: “Wahai harimau di antara manusia, setelah mandi di sana, para tetua meneguhkan ukuran kuno ini: dari tempat ditemukannya air Bāmbīkā, jaraknya adalah enam kali lemparan ‘śamyā’—itulah ukuran yang tetap. Wahai insan terbaik, dengan mandi di titian suci itu seseorang memperoleh pahala sedekah seribu sapi kapilā (sapi cokelat kekuningan) dan pahala yajña Aśvamedha; para resi purba mengetahuinya lewat pengalaman langsung. Dan, wahai Raja, siapa pun yang tinggal di Gayā sepanjang kedua paruh bulan—gelap dan terang—menyucikan garis keturunannya hingga tujuh generasi; tentang ini tiada keraguan.”
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage teaches the Mahābhārata’s tīrtha-ethic: sincere pilgrimage practices—especially bathing at a revered tīrtha and disciplined residence at Gayā for a full lunar cycle—are portrayed as powerful means of purification and moral-spiritual uplift, extending benefit beyond the individual to one’s lineage.
A speaker named Ghūlastya describes a specific sacred site and its traditional measurements, then extols the extraordinary merit of bathing there and of staying at Gayā through both lunar fortnights, asserting that these acts yield results comparable to major gifts and royal sacrifices and purify a family line up to seven generations.