Shloka 189
Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga
Pulastya’s Instruction
ततः कन्याश्रमं गच्छेन्नियतो ब्रह्मचर्यवान् | त्रिरात्रोपोषितो राजन् नियतो नियताशन:
tataḥ kanyāśramaṃ gacchen niyato brahmacaryavān | trirātropoṣito rājan niyato niyatāśanaḥ ||
त्यानंतर, हे राजन्, संयमी व ब्रह्मचर्यनिष्ठ होऊन तो कन्येच्या आश्रमास जावा. तीन रात्र उपवास करून, इंद्रियसंयम राखून, मिताहारी व शुद्ध भावाने तो तेथे जावा.
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes that approaching a significant encounter or undertaking should be preceded by ethical discipline: brahmacarya (chastity), fasting, and regulated conduct. Inner restraint and purification are presented as prerequisites for right action.
The speaker instructs the king about the proper procedure: the person should go to the maiden’s hermitage only after observing a three-night fast and maintaining strict self-control and moderated diet, indicating a formal, dharma-guided approach.