Shloka 21
Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga
Pulastya’s Instruction
कृतशौचं समासाद्य तीर्थसेवी नराधिप । पुण्डरीकमवाप्नोति कृतशौचो भवेच्च स:,एकहंसतीर्थमें स्नान करनेसे मनुष्य सहस्र गोदानका फल पाता है। नरेश्वर! कृतशौचतीर्थमें जाकर तीर्थसेवी मनुष्य पुण्डरीकयागका फल पाता और शुद्ध हो जाता है
kṛtaśaucaṃ samāsādya tīrthasevī narādhipa | puṇḍarīkam avāpnoti kṛtaśauco bhavec ca saḥ ||
ഘൂലസ്ത്യൻ പറഞ്ഞു— നരാധിപാ! കൃതശൗചതീർത്ഥത്തെ സമീപിക്കുന്ന തീർത്ഥസേവി പുണ്ഡരീകയാഗഫലം നേടുന്നു; അതിനാൽ തന്നെ അവൻ ശുദ്ധനാകുന്നു.
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Approaching and reverently practicing at a tīrtha is presented as a means of purification and moral renewal; the text equates such sincere pilgrimage with the high merit of major Vedic sacrifices (here, the Puṇḍarīka).
Ghūlastya addresses a king and describes the spiritual benefit of visiting the Kṛtaśauca tīrtha, stating that the pilgrim gains the fruit of the Puṇḍarīka sacrifice and becomes purified.