Pulastya’s Tīrtha Enumeration: Sarasvatī, Naimiṣa, Gayā, and Associated Phalaśruti
Chapter 82
गमनादेव राजेन्द्र दीर्घसत्रमरिंदम । राजसूयाश्चदमेधाभ्यां फलं प्राप्नोति भारत,शत्रुओंका दमन करनेवाले भरतवंशी राजेन्द्र! वहाँकी यात्रा करने मात्रसे मनुष्य राजसूय और अश्वमेध यज्ञोंक समान फल पाता है
gamanād eva rājendra dīrghasatram arindama | rājasūyāśvamedhābhyāṁ phalaṁ prāpnoti bhārata ||
Disse Ghūlastya: “Ó rei, esmagador de inimigos—ó descendente de Bharata—pelo simples fato de empreender a jornada até aquele lugar sagrado, a pessoa alcança o mesmo mérito que o obtido nos sacrifícios Rājasūya e Aśvamedha.”
घुलस्त्य उवाच
The verse elevates tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage): sincere travel to a sacred place can yield merit comparable to the grand royal sacrifices (Rājasūya and Aśvamedha), emphasizing accessibility of spiritual attainment beyond costly rites.
A speaker named Ghūlastya addresses a kingly Bhārata hero, praising a particular sacred destination and declaring that merely going there grants the fruit of major sacrifices, as part of the Vana Parva’s tīrtha-mahātmya (glorification of holy places).