Shloka 157
Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga
Pulastya’s Instruction
Devanagari script
ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ तीर्थ शतसहस्रकम्
Transliteration
tato gacchet dharmajña tīrtha-śata-sahasrakam
Translation
Then, O knower of dharma, one should proceed to a hundred thousand sacred fords—undertaking extensive pilgrimage as a disciplined pursuit of righteousness and purification.
Word by Word
ततःthen; thereafter
ततः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (पञ्चमी-अर्थे: 'from there/thereafter')
गच्छेत्should go
गच्छेत्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootगम् (गच्छ्)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्
धर्मज्ञO knower of dharma
धर्मज्ञ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्मज्ञ (धर्म + ज्ञ)
Formपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचनम्
तीर्थto a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
तीर्थ:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootतीर्थ
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्
शतसहस्रकम्a hundred-thousand (i.e., 100,000 in number)
शतसहस्रकम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootशतसहस्रक (शत + सहस्र + क)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्
Speaker
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Characters & Entities
T
tīrtha (pilgrimage sites)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Cross References
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse commends tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) as a dharmic discipline: a person who understands righteousness is urged to undertake extensive visits to sacred places as a means of moral and spiritual refinement.
A speaker addresses a 'knower of dharma' and gives prescriptive guidance—directing him to go onward to many tīrthas, continuing a pilgrimage itinerary within the Vana Parva context.