Shloka 48
The Origin of the Lauhitya River
and the King of Tīrthas
पूर्वस्यां दिशि देवेश तीर्थं चास्ति गुहोदरे । तच्छ्रुत्वा नरशार्दूलो गत्वा कुंडं ददर्श सः
pūrvasyāṃ diśi deveśa tīrthaṃ cāsti guhodare | tacchrutvā naraśārdūlo gatvā kuṃḍaṃ dadarśa saḥ
Wahai Dewa para dewa, di arah timur ada pula sebuah tīrtha di dalam gua. Mendengar itu, sang harimau di antara manusia pergi dan melihat kolam suci itu.
Unspecified (narrative voice within the ongoing dialogue context of Adhyaya 55)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ca+asti → cāsti; guhā+udare → guhodare; tat+śrutvā → tacchrutvā
FAQs
It presents tīrthas as specific, discoverable locations—here, an eastern-direction site hidden within a cave—showing that sacred geography includes remote natural settings like caverns and ponds (kuṇḍas).
Bhakti here is implied through reverent response: on hearing of a sacred place, the devotee-hero immediately goes to behold it. The movement from “hearing” (śravaṇa) to “seeking/seeing” reflects devotional orientation toward tīrthas.
The verse models prompt, purposeful action based on good counsel: when one learns of a holy and beneficial place, one should not delay but undertake the effort to approach it directly.