Shloka 81
Dhaumya’s Enumeration of Eastern Tīrthas
Prācī-diś Tīrtha-kathana
तत्राभिषेकं यः कुर्यात् संगमे लोकविश्रुते । पुण्यं स फलमाप्रोति राजसूयाश्वमेधयो:,वहाँके विश्वविख्यात संगममें जो स्नान करता है वह राजसूय और अश्वमेधयज्ञोंका पुण्यफल प्राप्त कर लेता है
tatrābhiṣekaṃ yaḥ kuryāt saṅgame lokaviśrute | puṇyaṃ sa phalam āpnoti rājasūyāśvamedhayoḥ ||
Pulastya said: Whoever performs the sacred bathing rite at that world-renowned confluence attains the same store of religious merit as is gained from the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha sacrifices. The teaching elevates humble pilgrimage and inner purity, presenting accessible dharma as a path to great spiritual fruit without the violence, wealth, or royal power required for grand rites.
पुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Great spiritual merit is not limited to kings and costly sacrifices; sincere observance of tīrtha-bathing at a sacred confluence can yield merit comparable to the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha, emphasizing accessible dharma and inner purification.
In the tīrtha-yātrā discourse of the Vana Parva, the sage Pulastya describes the extraordinary sanctity of a famous river-confluence, declaring that performing the ritual bath there grants immense merit traditionally associated with major royal sacrifices.