Shloka 112

Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga

Pulastya’s Instruction

Devanagari script

ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ कन्यातीर्थमनुत्तमम्‌ । कन्यातीर्थे नर: स्नात्वा गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्‌,धर्मज्ञ! तदनन्तर परम उत्तम कन्यातीर्थकी यात्रा करे। कन्यातीर्थमें स्नान करनेसे मानव सहस्र गोदानका फल पाता है

Transliteration

tato gacchet dharmajña kanyātīrtham anuttamam | kanyātīrthe naraḥ snātvā gosahasraphalaṁ labhet, dharmajña |

Translation

ನಂತರ, ಹೇ ಧರ್ಮಜ್ಞನೇ, ಅನುತ್ತಮವಾದ ‘ಕನ್ಯಾತೀರ್ಥ’ಕ್ಕೆ ಹೋಗಬೇಕು. ಕನ್ಯಾತೀರ್ಥದಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ನಾನ ಮಾಡಿದವನು ಸಹಸ್ರ ಗೋদানಫಲಕ್ಕೆ ಸಮಾನವಾದ ಪುಣ್ಯವನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಾನೆ.

Word by Word

ततःthen/thereafter

गच्छेत्should go

धर्मज्ञO knower of dharma

कन्यातीर्थम्to Kanyatirtha (the sacred ford named Kanyatirtha)

अनुत्तमम्unsurpassed, excellent

कन्यातीर्थेat/in Kanyatirtha

नरःa man

स्नात्वाhaving bathed

गोसहस्रफलम्the merit/reward of a thousand cows (as a gift)

लभेत्would obtain/should obtain

धर्मज्ञO knower of dharma

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kanyātīrtha

go (cow)

dharmajña (addressed person)

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?

Pilgrimage to a sacred tīrtha and bathing there are presented as dharmic acts that generate great puṇya, here equated with the highly valued merit of donating a thousand cows.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker is guiding a listener versed in dharma through a sequence of holy places, recommending that they go next to Kanyātīrtha and explaining the specific spiritual reward attributed to bathing there.