Shloka 15
Udīcī-diśi Tīrtha-kīrtana
Northern Sacred Places Enumeration
यत्र देवैस्तपस्तप्तं॑ महदिच्छद्धिराश्रमे । गोकर्ण इति विख्यातस्त्रिषु लोकेषु भारत,भरतनन्दन! वहाँ मोक्ष पानेकी इच्छासे देवताओंने आश्रममें रहकर बड़ी भारी तपस्या की थी। वहाँका गोकर्णतीर्थ तीनों लोकोंमें विख्यात है
yatra devais tapaḥ taptaṁ mahad icchadbhir āśrame | gokarṇa iti vikhyātas triṣu lokeṣu bhārata ||
Dhaumya berkata: “Wahai Bhārata, di pertapaan itu—tempat para dewa, mendambakan moksha, tinggal dan menjalani tapa yang besar—terdapat tempat suci yang masyhur bernama Gokarṇa. Ia termasyhur di tiga alam.”
धौम्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates tīrthas and āśramas as places sanctified by tapas and the pursuit of mokṣa: even the gods undertake disciplined austerity, implying that liberation is approached through sustained spiritual effort and reverence for sacred spaces.
Dhaumya is describing a revered pilgrimage site: the hermitage where the gods performed great austerities with the aim of liberation, identifying the place as the famous Gokarṇa-tīrtha, renowned across the three worlds.