Vṛṣotsarga (Bull-Release Gift): Procedure, Merit, and Narratives on Dharma, Karma, and Liberation
यावद्ब्रजाम्यहं वेश्म भवान् दृष्टिपथं गतः / लोमश उवाच / तीर्थानि सन्ति भूरीणि वर्षैऽस्मिन् भारते शुभे
yāvadbrajāmyahaṃ veśma bhavān dṛṣṭipathaṃ gataḥ / lomaśa uvāca / tīrthāni santi bhūrīṇi varṣai'smin bhārate śubhe
“Sehingga aku sampai ke kediamanku, engkau boleh meneruskan perjalanan melampaui jangkauan pandanganku.” Lomasha berkata: “Di tanah Bhārata yang mulia dan bertuah ini, sesungguhnya terdapat banyak tīrtha, tempat penyeberangan suci ziarah.”
Lomasha (Lomaśa)
Concept: Tīrtha-sevā as a dharmic means of purification and merit within Bhārata.
Vedantic Theme: Karmabhūmi and saṃskāra-śuddhi: outer pilgrimage supports inner purification conducive to jñāna/bhakti.
Application: Undertake pilgrimage with right intention (śraddhā), ethical conduct, and remembrance of the divine; treat sacred geography as a discipline, not tourism.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: subcontinent/varṣa
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 2.6 (tīrtha-kathana sequence continuing through 2.6.62)
This verse frames Bhārata as an auspicious land rich in tīrthas, implying that sacred places are key supports for dharma and purification, often connected to earning merit (puṇya) and removing impurities.
In the Preta Kanda context, tīrthas commonly function as places where rites, offerings, and purificatory acts are performed to aid spiritual welfare; the verse introduces the abundance of such sanctifying locations in Bhārata.
Treat pilgrimage and sacred-site worship as disciplined spiritual practice—combine visits to tīrthas with ethical living, charity, and sincere ritual observance rather than mere travel.