Anuśāsana-parva Adhyāya 112: Dharma as the sole companion; karmic witnesses; rebirth sequences
Bṛhaspati–Yudhiṣṭhira Saṃvāda
परिग्रहाच्च साधूनां पृथिव्याश्वैव तेजसा । अतीव पुण्यभागास्ते सलिलस्य च तेजसा,पृथ्वीके कुछ भाग साधु पुरुषोंके निवाससे तथा स्वयं पृथ्वी और जलके तेजसे अत्यन्त पवित्र माने गये हैं
parigrahācca sādhūnāṃ pṛthivyāścaiva tejasā | atīva puṇyabhāgāste salilasyaca tejasā ||
Bhīṣma disse: “Certas porções da terra são tidas como extremamente santas—tornadas assim pela presença e pela associação santificadora de pessoas virtuosas, e também pelo tejas, o fulgor purificador inerente à própria terra e à água.”
भीष्म उवाच
Holiness (puṇya) increases where virtuous people dwell, and it is further supported by the purifying potency (tejas) of natural elements like earth and water; moral and spiritual quality is shaped by both noble association and purifying supports.
In Bhīṣma’s instruction (Anuśāsana Parva), he explains why certain regions are considered especially sacred: they become highly meritorious through the residence/association of sādhus and through the purifying power attributed to earth and water.