Shloka 96
Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga
Pulastya’s Instruction
ततो व्यासस्थली नाम यत्र व्यासेन धीमता,अभिगत्वा स्थलीं तस्य गोसहस्रफलं लभेत् । तत्पश्चात् व्यासस्थलीमें जाय, जहाँ परम बुद्धिमान् व्यासने पुत्रशोकसे संतप्त हो शरीर त्याग देनेका विचार किया था। राजेन्द्र! उस समय उन्हें देवताओंने पुनः उठाया था। उस स्थलमें जानेसे सहख्न गोदानका फल मिलता है
tato vyāsasthalī nāma yatra vyāsena dhīmatā, abhigatvā sthalīṁ tasya go-sahasra-phalaṁ labhet |
Then comes the place called Vyāsasthalī. It is the spot where the supremely wise Vyāsa, tormented by grief for his son, had resolved to abandon his body, but was restrained and raised up again by the gods. O best of kings, merely visiting that sacred ground is said to yield the merit equal to gifting a thousand cows—teaching that even the greatest sages are not untouched by sorrow, and that sacred remembrance and pilgrimage are framed as means of moral restoration and accumulated dharma.
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage links sacred remembrance and pilgrimage with ethical merit (puṇya), while also highlighting a humane lesson: even a great sage like Vyāsa can be overwhelmed by personal loss, yet dharma is restored through divine restraint and continued life-purpose.
The speaker points out a holy site named Vyāsasthalī, explaining its origin: Vyāsa, grieving for his son, contemplated giving up his body there, but the gods intervened and revived/raised him. Visiting this place is said to grant the merit equivalent to donating a thousand cows.