Shloka 156
Dhaumya’s Enumeration of Eastern Tīrthas
Prācī-diś Tīrtha-kathana
वाजपेयमवाप्रोति देवै: सर्वैश्व पूज्यते । तदनन्तर पुण्यशोभिता पुण्यमयी लपेटिकामें जाकर स्नान करे। ऐसा करनेसे तीर्थयात्री वाजपेययज्ञका फल पाता और सम्पूर्ण देवताओंद्वारा पूजित होता है
vājapeyam avāpnoti devaiḥ sarvaiś ca pūjyate | tad-anantaraṁ puṇya-śobhitāṁ puṇya-mayīṁ lapeṭikāṁ gatvā snānaṁ kuryāt | evaṁ kṛte tīrtha-yātrī vājapeya-yajñasya phalaṁ prāpnoti sarva-devataiś ca pūjyate |
Pulastya berkata: “Dengan menunaikan amalan ini, seorang peziarah memperoleh pahala setara korban suci Vājapeya dan menjadi layak dihormati oleh sekalian dewa. Sesudah itu hendaklah ia pergi ke tempat suci yang melimpahkan kebajikan bernama Lapeṭikā—yang berhias dengan kesucian—lalu mandi di sana. Apabila demikian dilakukan, pengembara ke tirtha memperoleh buah Vājapeya dan dimuliakan oleh seluruh bala dewa.”
पुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage teaches that sincere pilgrimage and ritual bathing at a prescribed sacred site can confer merit comparable to an elaborate Vedic sacrifice (Vājapeya), emphasizing accessible paths to religious merit and the sanctifying power of tīrthas.
Pulastya is instructing about the results of visiting specific holy places: after completing the prior observance, the pilgrim should go to the tīrtha called Lapeṭikā and bathe; doing so grants the fruit of the Vājapeya sacrifice and brings honor from all the gods.