Shloka 77
कोटितीर्थे नर: स्नात्वा अर्चयित्वा गुहं नूप । गोसहस्रफलं विद्यात् तेजस्वी च भवेन्नर:,राजन! मनुष्य कोटितीर्थमें स्नान करके कार्तिकेयजीका पूजन करनेसे सहस्र गोदानका फल पाता और तेजस्वी होता है
Koṭitīrthe naraḥ snātvā arcayitvā Guhaṃ nṛpa | gosahasraphalaṃ vidyāt tejasvī ca bhavennaraḥ, rājan ||
Ghūlastya said: “O king, a man who bathes at Koṭitīrtha and then worships Guha (Kārttikeya) should be understood to gain the merit equal to gifting a thousand cows; he also becomes radiant and spiritually empowered. Thus, sacred bathing joined with devoted worship is praised as a means to inner brilliance and great religious merit.”
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Pilgrimage-bathing (snāna) becomes especially fruitful when joined with sincere worship (arcana). The verse teaches that such combined practice yields great religious merit—likened to donating a thousand cows—and cultivates tejas, i.e., inner radiance and strength.
In the context of a tīrtha-māhātmya (praise of sacred places) within Vana Parva, Ghūlastya addresses the king and extols Koṭitīrtha: bathing there and worshipping Guha (Kārttikeya) is declared highly meritorious and spiritually empowering.