Shloka 101

Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga

Pulastya’s Instruction

Devanagari script

मृगधूमं ततो गच्छेत्‌ त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम्‌ तत्राभिषेकं कुर्वीत गज्जायां नृपसत्तम,नृपश्रेष्ठ तदनन्तर तीनों लोकोंमें विख्यात मृगधूम-तीर्थमें जाय और वहाँ गंगाजीमें स्नान करे

Transliteration

mṛgadhūmaṃ tato gacchet triṣu lokeṣu viśrutam | tatrābhiṣekaṃ kurvīta gaṅgāyāṃ nṛpasattama ||

Translation

Ghūlastya disse: “Depois, segue para o vau sagrado chamado Mṛgadhūma, célebre nos três mundos. Ali, ó melhor dos reis, realiza o banho purificador (abhiṣeka) no Gaṅgā.”

Word by Word

• मृगधूमम्: to (the tirtha named) Mṛgadhūma
• मृगधूमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगधूम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• त्रिषु: in the three
• त्रिषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• लोकेषु: worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• विश्रुतम्: well-known, renowned
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-श्रु (धातु) → विश्रुत (कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तत्र: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)

• अभिषेकम्: ablution, bathing (ritual bath)
• अभिषेकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिषेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• कुर्वीत: should perform, should do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• गङ्गायाम्: in the Gaṅgā (river)
• गङ्गायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• नृपसत्तम: O best of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपसत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Ghūlastya
• Mṛgadhūma-tīrtha
• Gaṅgā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes tīrtha-yātrā as a dharmic discipline: approaching a renowned sacred place and undertaking ritual purification (bathing in the Gaṅgā) as a means of inner and outer cleansing, undertaken with reverence and self-restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker named Ghūlastya is directing a king on the next step of a pilgrimage itinerary: to go to the famed Mṛgadhūma tīrtha and perform the prescribed bath in the Gaṅgā there.