Shloka 194

Devanagari script

उदपानानि वाप्यश्ष तीर्थान्यायतनानि च । नि:संशयममावास्यां समेष्यन्ति नराधिप,पृथ्वीपर और आकाशमें जितने तीर्थ, नदी, हृद, तड़ाग, सम्पूर्ण झरने, उदपान, बावली, तीर्थ और मन्दिर हैं, वे प्रत्येक मासकी अमावस्याको संनिहतीमें अवश्य पधारेंगे। तीर्थोका संघात या समूह होनेके कारण ही वह संनिहती नामसे विख्यात है

Transliteration

udapānāni vāpyāś ca tīrthāny āyatanāni ca | niḥsaṁśayam amāvāsyāṁ sameṣyanti narādhipa ||

Translation

Ghūlastya said: “Wells, reservoirs, sacred fords, and holy shrines—without doubt, O king—converge here on the new-moon day. Therefore this place is renowned as Saṁnihitī, ‘the Confluence,’ because it becomes a gathering-point of all tīrthas.”

Word by Word

उदपानानिwells

वाप्यःstep-wells/ponds

तीर्थानिpilgrimage-places/fording places

आयतनानिabodes/shrines

चand

निःसंशयम्without doubt

अमावास्याम्on the new-moon day

समेष्यन्तिwill come together/assemble

नराधिपO king (lord of men)

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Ghūlastya

narādhipa (the king, addressee)

udapāna (wells)

vāpī (tanks/reservoirs)

tīrtha (sacred fords/pilgrimage sites)

āyatana (shrines/temples)

amāvāsyā (new-moon day)

Saṁnihitī (implied place-name by explanation)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes the sanctity of sacred places and sacred times: on amāvāsyā, tīrthas are believed to ‘converge’ at Saṁnihitī, highlighting how dharma is supported by pilgrimage, reverence for holy sites, and observance of auspicious ritual occasions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Ghūlastya addresses the king and explains why the place called Saṁnihitī is famous: on the new-moon day, wells, tanks, tīrthas, and shrines are said to assemble there, making it a special confluence for pilgrimage and religious merit.