Shloka 34
The Procedure for Offering Piṇḍa (Funerary Rice-balls) — Gayā-māhātmya
अश्वमेधसहस्राणां सहस्रं यः समाचरेत् । नासौ तत्फलमाप्नोति फल्गुतीर्थे यदाप्नुयात् ॥ ३४ ॥
aśvamedhasahasrāṇāṃ sahasraṃ yaḥ samācaret | nāsau tatphalamāpnoti phalgutīrthe yadāpnuyāt || 34 ||
Walaupun seseorang melakukan seribu kali seribu korban Aśvamedha, dia tetap tidak memperoleh hasil yang dapat diperoleh di Phalgu Tīrtha.
Suta (narrating Narada Purana’s Tirtha-Mahatmya dialogue)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
The verse exalts Phalgu Tīrtha as exceptionally potent: the merit gained there is declared to surpass even the cumulative results of vast, prestigious Vedic sacrifices, emphasizing the special grace attached to certain sacred places (tīrtha-mahātmya).
By valuing tīrtha-phala over grand ritual prestige, the verse points toward humility and God-centeredness: approaching a holy place with faith, purity, and remembrance can yield spiritual benefit beyond elaborate sacrificial display—an orientation aligned with Bhakti.
It implicitly contrasts Śrauta-yajña (like Aśvamedha, governed by Kalpa/Vedāṅga for ritual procedure) with tīrtha-sevā and snāna as a Purāṇic dharma practice, teaching that ritual magnitude alone is not the sole measure of spiritual fruit.