Shloka 70
Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga
Pulastya’s Instruction
राजन! मानुषतीर्थसे पूर्व एक कोसकी दूरीपर आपगा नामसे विख्यात एक नदी है, जो सिद्धपुरुषोंसे सेवित है। जो मनुष्य वहाँ देवताओं और पितरोंके उद्देश्य्से भोजन कराते समय श्यामाक (साँवा) नामक अन्न देता है, उसे महान् धर्मफलकी प्राप्ति होती है। वहाँ एक ब्राह्मणगको भोजन करानेपर एक करोड़ ब्राह्मणोंको भोजन करानेका फल मिलता है ।। ६७ -:५5९ || तत्र स्नात्वार्चयित्वा च पितृन् वै दैवतानि च । उषित्वा रजनीमेकामग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत्,वहाँ स्नान करके देवताओं और पितरोंके पूजनपूर्वक एक रात निवास करनेसे अग्निष्टोमयज्ञका फल मिलता है
rājan! mānuṣatīrthase pūrvaṁ eka-kośikā dūrīpar āpagā nāma-se vikhyātā ekā nadī asti, yā siddha-puruṣaiḥ sevitā. yo manuṣyaḥ tatra devatānāṁ pitṝṇāṁ ca uddiśya bhojanaṁ kārayati, śyāmāka-nāmakaṁ annaṁ dadāti, sa mahān dharma-phalaṁ prāpnoti. tatra ekaṁ brāhmaṇaṁ bhojayitvā eka-koṭi brāhmaṇān bhojayituṁ phalaṁ labhate. tatra snātvā arcayitvā ca pitṝn vai devatāni ca, uṣitvā rajanīm ekām agniṣṭoma-phalaṁ labhet.
Ghūlastya disse: “Ó rei, a leste de Mānuṣa-tīrtha, a uma distância de cerca de um krośa, há um rio célebre chamado Āpagā, frequentado por sábios perfeitos. Quem ali oferece uma refeição em honra dos deuses e dos ancestrais—especialmente dando o grão chamado śyāmāka—alcança grande recompensa de dharma. Diz-se que alimentar um único brāhmaṇa naquele lugar rende o mérito de alimentar dez milhões de brāhmaṇas. E se alguém ali se banha, venera tanto os ancestrais quanto as divindades e permanece uma noite, obtém o mérito do sacrifício Agniṣṭoma.”
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage teaches that sacred places (tīrthas) amplify ethical acts: feeding others with a dedicatory intention toward gods and ancestors, offering simple ritual grains like śyāmāka, bathing, worship, and even a single night’s disciplined stay can yield great religious merit—symbolically equated with major Vedic sacrifices.
Ghūlastya is guiding the king through a tīrtha-map: he points out the river Āpagā near Mānuṣa-tīrtha and describes the specific rites to perform there—charitable feeding, bathing, worship of deities and ancestors, and overnight residence—along with the traditional merit attributed to each act.