Shloka 12

Dhaumya’s Enumeration of Eastern Tīrthas

Prācī-diś Tīrtha-kathana

Devanagari script

वृषभैकादशफलं लभते नात्र संशय: । पुष्पवत्यामुपस्पृश्य त्रिरात्रोपोषितो नर:

Transliteration

vṛṣabhaikādaśaphalaṃ labhate nātra saṃśayaḥ | puṣpavatyām upaspṛśya trirātropoṣito naraḥ ||

Translation

Pulastya berkata: “Tiada keraguan: sesiapa yang menyucikan diri dengan mandi di Puṣpavatī lalu berpuasa tiga malam memperoleh pahala setara dengan upacara ‘sebelas lembu jantan’.”

Word by Word

वृषभैकादशफलम्the fruit (merit) of (the rite called) ‘vṛṣabha-ekādaśa’

लभतेobtains

नnot

अत्रhere / in this matter

संशयःdoubt

पुष्पवत्याम्in/at (the place/river) ‘Puṣpavatī’

उपस्पृश्यhaving touched / having performed ablution (by touching water)

त्रिरात्रthree nights (for a period of three nights)

उपोषितःhaving fasted

नरःa man

Speaker

पुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Pulastya

Puṣpavatī

Character Dynamics

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?

That sincere observance—ritual purification at a sacred tīrtha followed by a disciplined three-night fast—can yield merit comparable to major sacrificial gifts, highlighting inner restraint and dharmic practice over mere display.

What is happening in the narrative?

Pulastya is describing the fruits of visiting a particular holy place (Puṣpavatī). He states that bathing there and fasting for three nights grants a specific, highly praised sacrificial merit (vṛṣabhaikādaśa-phala).