Shloka 68

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

Pulastya’s Instruction

Devanagari script

आप गा नाम विख्याता नदी सिद्धनिषेविता । श्यामाकं भोजने तत्र यः प्रयच्छति मानव:

Transliteration

Āpagā nāma vikhyātā nadī siddhaniṣevitā | śyāmākaṁ bhojane tatra yaḥ prayacchati mānavaḥ ||

Translation

അവിടെ ‘ആപഗാ’ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധമായ ഒരു നദിയുണ്ട്; സിദ്ധന്മാർ അതിനെ സേവിക്കുന്നു. അവിടെ ആരെങ്കിലും ഭോജനാർത്ഥം ശ്യാമാക ധാന്യം അർപ്പിക്കുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ.

Word by Word

आपगाthe river Āpagā

नामby name

विख्याताwell-known, renowned

नदीriver

सिद्धनिषेविताfrequented/served by siddhas

श्यामाकम्śyāmāka grains (millet)

भोजनेin/for food, as a meal

तत्रthere

यःwho

प्रयच्छतिgives, bestows

मानवःa man, human

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Āpagā (river)

Siddhas

śyāmāka (grain/food offering)

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?

Simple, sattvic giving—such as offering humble grains like śyāmāka—performed in a sanctified place associated with holy beings is presented as a potent form of dāna that generates spiritual merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker points out a famous sacred river, Āpagā, known to be frequented by siddhas, and highlights the religious value of feeding others there with simple food, indicating the tirtha’s merit and the virtue of charitable offering.