Shloka 46
Pulastya’s Tīrtha Enumeration: Sarasvatī, Naimiṣa, Gayā, and Associated Phalaśruti
Chapter 82
धर्मारण्यं हि तत् पुण्यमाद्यं च भरतर्षभ | यत्र प्रविष्टमात्रो वै सर्वपापै: प्रमुच्यते
dharmāraṇyaṃ hi tat puṇyam ādyaṃ ca bharatarṣabha | yatra praviṣṭamātro vai sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate ||
“That sacred forest is indeed the ‘Forest of Dharma’—primeval and holy, O bull among the Bharatas. The very moment one enters it, one is released from all sins.”
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches the purificatory power of sacred spaces associated with dharma: entering a holy region aligned with righteous conduct is portrayed as immediately cleansing moral taint, emphasizing repentance, renewal, and the transformative influence of dharmic environments.
A speaker (Ghūlastya) praises a particular sacred forest called Dharmāraṇya, addressing a Bharata hero with an honorific. The statement functions as guidance and encouragement, presenting the place as exceptionally ancient and holy, where mere entry grants release from sins.