Shloka 175
Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga
Pulastya’s Instruction
पावन तीर्थमासाद्य तर्पयेत् पितृदेवता: । अग्निष्टोमस्य यज्ञस्य फल प्राप्नोति भारत,तत्पश्चात् पावनतीर्थमें जाकर देवताओं और पितरोंका तर्पण करे। भारत! ऐसा करनेवाले पुरुषको अग्निष्टोमयज्ञका फल मिलता है
pāvana-tīrtham āsādya tarpayet pitṛ-devatāḥ | agniṣṭomasya yajñasya phalaṁ prāpnoti bhārata ||
Having reached the purifying sacred ford, one should offer libations (tarpana) to the gods and to the ancestral spirits. O Bhārata, the person who performs this act attains the merit equivalent to that of the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice—teaching that sincere ritual gratitude at a holy place can yield the same ethical-spiritual fruit as a major Vedic rite.
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Performing tarpana to gods and ancestors at a purifying tīrtha is presented as a powerful dharmic act whose merit equals that of the Agniṣṭoma Soma-sacrifice, emphasizing accessible righteousness through reverence, gratitude, and proper ritual conduct.
A speaker instructs the Bharata prince about the procedure and reward of visiting a specific sacred place: upon reaching the tīrtha, one should offer libations to deities and ancestors, and thereby gain the fruit of a major Vedic sacrifice.