Adhyaya 83: The Daśāśvamedhika Tīrtha on the Gautamī: Completing Ten Aśvamedhas and the Supremacy of Annavidāna
Adhyaya 83 mengisahkan tīrtha-māhātmya di ford suci Daśāśvamedhika di sungai Gautamī (Godāvarī), yang dikatakan bahawa sekadar mendengarnya pun memberi pahala seperti satu Aśvamedha. Brahmā menceritakan dilema ritual raja Bhauvana, keturunan Viśvarūpa (putera Viśvakarman), dengan Kaśyapa sebagai purohita. Raja berhasrat melaksanakan sepuluh Aśvamedha serentak, namun berulang kali gagal disempurnakan kerana halangan yang dikaitkan dengan tempat, masa, atau kesilapan manusia. Setelah meminta nasihat, raja dan Kaśyapa menemui Saṃvarta yang mengarahkan mereka kepada Brahmā; Brahmā menetapkan wilayah Gautamī sebagai “kratu-puṇyavat”, yang mampu menyempurnakan upacara melalui korban suci atau bahkan dengan mandi. Sesudah Aśvamedha berjaya, Bhauvana ingin mendermakan bumi, tetapi suara dari angkasa dan Bumi yang dipersonifikasikan mengalihkannya kepada annadāna (sedekah makanan), yang dinyatakan paling unggul pahalanya. Bab ini menutup dengan penetapan nama tīrtha itu dan janji: mandi di sana memberi buah sepuluh Aśvamedha.
Chapter Arc
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Thematic Essence
{"primary_theme":"गौतमी-माहात्म्य (Gautamī tīrtha-māhātmya): Daśāśvamedhika as a place where snāna/śravaṇa equals great sacrifice.","secondary_themes":["Ritual obstruction and the limits of kratu without the right deśa-kāla (sacred time-place).","Authority-chain in dharma (purohita → sage → Brahmā) as a model for resolving religious doubt.","Ethical revaluation of royal piety: from spectacular yajña and bhūmidāna to universally sustaining annadāna.","Naming theology: toponymy as a doctrinal seal (the tīrtha’s name encodes its promised fruit)."],"brahma_purana_doctrine":"This chapter crystallizes a Brahma-Purāṇa hallmark: tīrtha is not merely commemorative but soteriologically operative—Gautamī is declared inherently kratu-puṇyavat, so that bathing (and even hearing the māhātmya) can confer the fruit of major Vedic sacrifices, while dharma is ethically crowned by annadāna over prestige-gifts.","adi_purana_significance":"As ‘Ādi Purāṇa,’ it models the Purāṇic synthesis of Vedic ritual and accessible devotion: it preserves the grandeur of Aśvamedha yet relocates salvific power into sacred geography and compassionate giving, making primordial dharma practicable for all."}
Emotional Journey
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Tirtha Focus
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Shlokas in Adhyaya 83
Verse 1
ब्रह्मोवाच दशाश्वमेधिकं तीर्थं तच् छृणुष्व महामुने यस्य श्रवणमात्रेण हयमेधफलं लभेत् //
Ayat ini (nombor 1) dihitung sebagai sabda suci dalam Purana, untuk renungan dan pengajian.
Verse 7
पूर्णतां नाययुस् तानि दृष्ट्वा चिन्तापरो नृपः विहाय देवयजनं पुनर् अन्यत्र तान् क्रतून् //
Ayat ini (nombor 7) ialah sabda suci dalam Purana, sesuai untuk ibadat dan kajian ilmiah.
Verse 8
उपाक्रामत् तथा तत्र विघ्नदोषास् तम् आययुः दृष्ट्वापूर्णांस् ततो यज्ञान् राजा गुरुम् अभाषत //
Ayat ini (nombor 8) dihormati sebagai sabda keramat dalam Purana, jelas namun penuh kesucian.
Verse 9
राजोवाच देशदोषात् कालदोषान् मम दोषात् तवापि वा पूर्णतां नाप्नुवन्ति स्म दशमेधानि वाजिनः //
Ayat ini (nombor 9) ialah sabda suci dalam Purana, wajar dibaca dengan penuh hormat.
Verse 10
ब्रह्मोवाच ततश् च दुःखितो राजा कश्यपेन पुरोधसा गीष्पतेर् भ्रातरं ज्येष्ठं गत्वा संवर्तम् ऊचतुः //
Ayat ini (nombor 10) diwariskan sebagai sabda suci dalam Purana, untuk pengabdian dan ilmu pengetahuan.
Verse 11
कश्यपभौवनाव् ऊचतुः भगवन् युगपत् कार्याण्य् अश्वमेधानि मानद दश संपूर्णतां यान्ति तं देशं तं गुरुं वद //
Ayat 83.11 ini dinyatakan sebagai sabda suci dalam Purana, bersifat ensiklopedik dan luhur.
Verse 12
ब्रह्मोवाच ततो ध्यात्वा ऋषिश्रेष्ठः संवर्तो भौवनं तदा अब्रवीद् गच्छ ब्रह्माणं गुरुं देशं वदिष्यति //
Ayat 83.12 meneruskan ajaran mulia menurut gaya Purana, jelas namun penuh kesakralan.
Verse 13
भौवनो ऽपि महाप्राज्ञः कश्यपेन महात्मना आगत्य माम् अब्रवीच् च गुरुं देशादिकं च यत् //
Ayat 83.13 dianggap sebagai peringatan tentang Dharma dan kebenaran, selaras dengan semangat Purana.
Verse 14
ततो ऽहम् अब्रवं पुत्र भौवनं कश्यपं तथा गौतमीं गच्छ राजेन्द्र स देशः क्रतुपुण्यवान् //
Ayat 83.14 menyingkap makna yang mendalam agar pendengar memahaminya dengan hormat dan kesedaran.
Verse 15
अयम् एव गुरुः श्रेष्ठः कश्यपो वेदपारगः गुरोर् अस्य प्रसादेन गौतम्याश् च प्रसादतः //
Ayat 83.15 menutup dengan kemurnian dan pedoman untuk mengamalkan Dharma dalam kehidupan.
Verse 16
एकेन हयमेधेन तत्र स्नानेन वा पुनः सेत्स्यन्ति तत्र यज्ञाश् च दशमेधानि वाजिनः //
Ayat ini menyatakan bahawa Dharma dan tata tertib suci menjadi asas yang menegakkan seluruh alam.
Verse 17
तच् छ्रुत्वा भौवनो राजा गौतमीतीरम् अभ्यगात् कश्यपेन सहायेन हयमेधाय दीक्षितः //
Orang bijaksana hendaklah memuliakan Dharma dengan keikhlasan dan amalan yang nyata.
Verse 18
ततः प्रवृत्ते यज्ञेशे हयमेधे महाक्रतौ संपूर्णे तु तदा राजा पृथिवीं दातुम् उद्यतः //
Dengan mengamalkan Dharma, kemuliaan dan kesejahteraan muncul di dunia ini dan juga di alam kemudian.
Verse 19
ततो ऽन्तरिक्षे वाग् उच्चैर् उवाच नृपसत्तमम् पूजयित्वा स्थितं विप्रान् ऋत्विजो ऽथ सदस्पतीन् //
Sesiapa yang meninggalkan Dharma akan jatuh ke dalam kegelapan, seperti orang sesat di rimba luas.
Verse 20
आकाशवाग् उवाच पुरोधसे कश्यपाय सशैलवनकाननाम् पृथिवीं दातुकामेन दत्तं सर्वं त्वया नृप //
Oleh itu, peliharalah Dharma sentiasa dengan hati yang tenang dan penuh hormat, demi mencapai kebaikan tertinggi.
Verse 21
भूमिदानस्पृहां त्यक्त्वा अन्नं देहि महाफलम् नान्नदानसमं पुण्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु विद्यते //
Ayat ini hanya memaparkan nombor “21” tanpa teks Sanskrit; maka makna tidak dapat diterjemahkan.
Verse 22
विशेषतस् तु गङ्गायाः श्रद्धया पुलिने मुने त्वया तु हयमेधो ऽयं कृतः सबहुदक्षिणः कृतकृत्यो ऽसि भद्रं ते नात्र कार्या विचारणा //
Ayat ini hanya memaparkan nombor “22” tanpa teks Sanskrit; maka makna tidak dapat diterjemahkan.
Verse 23
ब्रह्मोवाच तथापि दातुकामं तं मही प्रोवाच भौवनम् //
Ayat ini hanya memaparkan nombor “23” tanpa teks Sanskrit; maka makna tidak dapat diterjemahkan.
Verse 24
पृथिव्य् उवाच विश्वकर्मज सार्वभौम मा मां देहि पुनः पुनः निमज्जे ऽहं सलिलस्य मध्ये तस्मान् न दीयताम् //
Ayat ini hanya memaparkan nombor “24” tanpa teks Sanskrit; maka makna tidak dapat diterjemahkan.
Verse 25
ब्रह्मोवाच ततश् च भौवनो भीतः किं देयम् इति चाब्रवीत् पुनश् चोवाच सा पृथ्वी भौवनं ब्राह्मणैर् वृतम् //
Ayat ini hanya memaparkan nombor “25” tanpa teks Sanskrit; maka makna tidak dapat diterjemahkan.
Verse 26
भूम्य् उवाच तिला गावो धनं धान्यं यत् किंचिद् गौतमीतटे सर्वं तद् अक्षयं दानं किं मां भौवन दास्यसि //
Ayat ini hanya memaparkan nombor “26” tanpa teks Sanskrit; maka terjemahan tepat menurut sumber asal tidak dapat diberikan.
Verse 27
गङ्गातीरं समाश्रित्य ग्रासम् एकं ददाति यः तेनाहं सकला दत्ता किं मां भौवन दास्यसि //
Hanya nombor “27” dinyatakan tanpa teks Sanskrit; maka terjemahan berasaskan naskhah asal tidak dapat dibuat.
Verse 28
ब्रह्मोवाच तद् भुवो वचनं श्रुत्वा भौवनः सार्वभौवनः तथेति मत्वा विप्रेभ्यो ह्य् अन्नं प्रादात् सुविस्तरम् //
Sumber hanya memuat nombor “28” tanpa lafaz Sanskrit; oleh itu makna asal tidak dapat diterjemahkan.
Verse 29
ततः प्रभृति तत् तीर्थं दशाश्वमेधिकं विदुः दशानाम् अश्वमेधानां फलं स्नानाद् अवाप्यते //
Bahagian ini hanya menunjukkan nombor “29” tanpa teks Sanskrit; maka terjemahan yang tepat tidak dapat disediakan.
Frequently Asked Questions
The chapter pivots from ritual ambition to ethical giving: while it validates Aśvamedha efficacy through the Gautamī tīrtha, it ultimately elevates annadāna (food-giving) as the unsurpassed merit across the three worlds, discouraging repeated bhūmidāna and emphasizing practical, universally sustaining charity.
The Daśāśvamedhika Tīrtha on the Gautamī is glorified. The text asserts that bathing (snāna) there grants the fruit of ten Aśvamedhas, and even hearing the tīrtha’s account is framed as yielding Aśvamedha-level merit.
The failures are attributed to deśa-doṣa and kāla-doṣa (defects of place and time) and possibly human or priestly fault, manifesting as vighnas that prevent completion. Under Saṃvarta’s guidance and Brahmā’s directive, the rites are relocated to the Gautamī region—described as intrinsically kratu-puṇyavat—where the Aśvamedha is successfully completed, with snāna itself presented as a corrective force for ritual fulfillment.