Shloka 26
Pilgrimage Itinerary and Merits: Sindhu–Sarasvatī–Ocean Confluences and Named Tīrthas
ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ वसुधारामभिष्टुताम् । गमनादेव तस्यां हि हयमेधमवाप्नुयात्
tato gaccheta dharmajña vasudhārāmabhiṣṭutām | gamanādeva tasyāṃ hi hayamedhamavāpnuyāt
Kemudian, wahai yang mengetahui dharma, hendaklah pergi ke Vasudhārā yang termasyhur dan dipuji. Sungguh, hanya dengan berziarah ke sana pun diperoleh pahala setara Aśvamedha yajña.
Unspecified (narratorial instruction within a tīrtha-māhātmya passage)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वसुधारामभिष्टुताम् = वसुधाराम् + अभिष्टुताम्; गमनादेव = गमनात् + एव; हयमेधमवाप्नुयात् = हयमेधम् + अवाप्नुयात्.
FAQs
It teaches the tīrtha-māhātmya principle that pilgrimage to a praised sacred place (Vasudhārā) can confer merit equivalent to major Vedic sacrifices like the Aśvamedha.
It means attaining the spiritual merit (puṇya/phala) attributed to performing an Aśvamedha sacrifice, not necessarily performing the ritual itself.
It encourages accessible dharmic practice—seeking sanctifying places and acts (like tīrtha-yātrā) as a means of purification and merit, especially when large-scale sacrifices are impractical.