Shloka 168

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

Pulastya’s Instruction

Devanagari script

ततो गच्छेदनरकं तीर्थसेवी नराधिप । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्‌ न दुर्गतिमवाप्रुयात्‌

Transliteration

tato gacched anarakaṃ tīrthasevī narādhipa | tatra snātvā naro rājan na durgatim avāpnuyāt ||

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം, ഹേ നരാധിപാ! തീർത്ഥസേവയിൽ നിരതനായവൻ ‘അനരക’ എന്ന തീർത്ഥത്തിലേക്ക് പോകണം. ഹേ രാജാവേ! അവിടെ സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ മനുഷ്യൻ ദുര്‍ഗതിയിൽ പതിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya

• गच्छेत्: should go
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (गच्छति)
• Form: Vidhi-lin (optative), parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular, present-system

• नरकम्: to Naraka (a hell/place named Naraka)
• नरकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक
• Form: Neuter, accusative, singular

• तीर्थसेवी: a pilgrim/one who frequents sacred fords
• तीर्थसेवी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थसेविन् (तीर्थ + सेविन्)
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• नराधिप: O king (lord of men)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप (नर + अधिप)
• Form: Masculine, vocative, singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), indeclinable; prior action

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, vocative, singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya

• दुर्गतिम्: misfortune/bad state (evil destiny)
• दुर्गतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गति
• Form: Feminine, accusative, singular

• अवाप्नुयात्: would attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप्
• Form: Vidhi-lin (optative), parasmaipada, 3rd person, singular

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Anaraka (tīrtha)
• narādhipa (king, addressee)
• rājan (king, addressee)
• tīrthasevī (pilgrim/devotee of sacred places)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that devoted pilgrimage (tīrtha-sevā) and ritual bathing at a sacred ford—specifically Anaraka—functions as a moral-spiritual safeguard, preventing a person from reaching durgati (an evil destiny).

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker addresses a king and recommends the next sacred destination in a sequence of tīrthas, stating that bathing at Anaraka grants protective merit so that the pilgrim does not incur misfortune or a bad spiritual end.