Shloka 96
Dhaumya’s Enumeration of Eastern Tīrthas
Prācī-diś Tīrtha-kathana
न गड़ासदृशं तीर्थ न देव: केशवात् पर: । ब्राह्मणेभ्य: पर॑ नास्ति एवमाह पितामह:,गंगाके समान कोई तीर्थ नहीं, भगवान् विष्णुसे बढ़कर कोई देवता नहीं और ब्राह्मणोंसे उत्तम कोई वर्ण नहीं है; ऐसा ब्रह्माजीका कथन है
na gaṅgāsadṛśaṃ tīrthaṃ na devaḥ keśavāt paraḥ | brāhmaṇebhyaḥ paraṃ nāsti evam āha pitāmahaḥ ||
ಪುಲಸ್ತ್ಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಗಂಗೆಯಂತ ತೀರ್ಥವಿಲ್ಲ; ಕೇಶವನ (ವಿಷ್ಣುವಿನ) ಮೇಲು ದೇವನಿಲ್ಲ; ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣರಿಗಿಂತ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠರು ಯಾರೂ ಇಲ್ಲ—ಎಂದು ಪಿತಾಮಹ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮನು ಹೇಳಿದನು.
पुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse establishes a hierarchy of religious ideals: the Gaṅgā as the foremost purifier among tīrthas, Keśava as the supreme deity, and Brāhmaṇas as the highest social-religious authority—encouraging pilgrimage, devotion, and reverence for Vedic learning as supports of dharma.
In the Vana Parva’s tīrtha-focused discourse, the sage Pulastya instructs his listener by citing Pitāmaha (Brahmā) as an authoritative source, summarizing revered conclusions about sacred places, the supreme god, and the preeminence of Brāhmaṇas.