Shloka 19
Udīcī-diśi Tīrtha-kīrtana
Northern Sacred Places Enumeration
सुराष्ट्रेष्वपि वक्ष्यामि पुण्यान्यायतनानि च । आश्रमान् सरितश्वैव सरांसि च नराधिप,नरेश्वर! अब मैं सुराष्ट्र (सौराष्ट्र)-देशीय पुण्य-स्थानों, मन्दिरों, आश्रमों, सरिताओं और सरोवरोंका वर्णन करता हूँ
surāṣṭreṣv api vakṣyāmi puṇyāny āyatanāni ca | āśramān saritaś caiva sarāṃsi ca narādhipa ||
Dhaumya said: “O king, I shall now describe, even in the land of Surāṣṭra, the sacred abodes—holy shrines and sanctuaries—together with the hermitages, the rivers, and the lakes.”
धौम्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) as a dharmic practice: knowing and honoring sacred places—shrines, hermitages, rivers, and lakes—supports purification, merit (puṇya), and reverence for the spiritual landscape under a king’s protection.
Dhaumya announces a new section of description: he is about to enumerate the holy sites of Surāṣṭra, including sanctuaries, āśramas, rivers, and lakes, addressing the king and guiding him through sacred geography.