Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga
Pulastya’s Instruction
मधुस््रवं च तत्रैव तीर्थ भरतसत्तम । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन् गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्,भरतश्रेष्ठ! वहीं मधुस्रव तीर्थ है। राजन! उसमें स्नान करनेसे मनुष्यको सहस्र गोदानका फल मिलता है
madhusravaṃ ca tatraiva tīrtha bharatasattama | tatra snātvā naro rājan gosahasraphalaṃ labhet |
E ali mesmo, ó melhor dos Bharatas, há o vau sagrado chamado Madhusrava. Ó Rei, quem ali se banha obtém mérito igual ao de oferecer mil vacas em dádiva.
घुलस्त्य उवाच
The verse underscores the dharmic idea that sacred places (tīrthas) and simple acts like ritual bathing, performed with faith and purity, can yield great merit—here equated with the highly valued charitable act of gifting a thousand cows.
A speaker is guiding or informing a kingly listener about a specific pilgrimage site—Madhusrava—praising its spiritual efficacy and stating the reward (puṇya) obtained by bathing there.