Shloka 87
Dhaumya’s Enumeration of Eastern Tīrthas
Prācī-diś Tīrtha-kathana
तत्र हंसप्रपतनं तीर्थ त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् । दशाश्वमेधिकं चैव गज्जायां कुरुनन्दन,कुरुनन्दन! वहीं त्रिलोकविख्यात हंसप्रपतन नामक तीर्थ है और गंगाके तटपर दशाश्वमेधिक तीर्थ है
tatra haṃsaprapatanaṃ tīrthaṃ trailokyaviśrutam | daśāśvamedhikaṃ caiva gaṅgāyāṃ kurunandana ||
Pulastya berkata: “Di sana ada tīrtha bernama Haṃsaprapatana, masyhur di seluruh tiga alam. Dan di tebing sungai Gaṅgā, wahai kegembiraan kaum Kuru, ada pula tempat suci yang dikenali sebagai Daśāśvamedhika.”
पुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s ethic of tīrtha-yātrā: certain places are revered across the world as supports for dharma, remembrance, and purification. By naming famed tīrthas, the text situates spiritual practice within sacred geography and inherited tradition.
Pulastya is guiding the Kuru prince through a catalogue of pilgrimage sites, identifying two renowned tīrthas—Haṃsaprapatana and Daśāśvamedhika—specifying that the latter lies on the Gaṅgā’s bank.