Shloka 168

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

Pulastya’s Instruction

Devanagari script

ततो गच्छेदनरकं तीर्थसेवी नराधिप । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्‌ न दुर्गतिमवाप्रुयात्‌

Transliteration

tato gacched anarakaṃ tīrthasevī narādhipa | tatra snātvā naro rājan na durgatim avāpnuyāt ||

Translation

ஆகவே, மனிதர்களின் தலைவனே! தீர்த்தங்களைச் சேவிக்கும் ஒருவன் ‘அநரக’ எனும் தீர்த்தத்திற்குச் செல்ல வேண்டும். அரசனே! அங்கே நீராடினால் மனிதன் துர்கதியை அடையமாட்டான்.

Word by Word

ततःthen/from there

गच्छेत्should go

नरकम्to Naraka (a hell/place named Naraka)

तीर्थसेवीa pilgrim/one who frequents sacred fords

नराधिपO king (lord of men)

तत्रthere

स्नात्वाhaving bathed

नरःa man

राजन्O king

नnot

दुर्गतिम्misfortune/bad state (evil destiny)

अवाप्नुयात्would attain

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Anaraka (tīrtha)

narādhipa (king, addressee)

rājan (king, addressee)

tīrthasevī (pilgrim/devotee of sacred places)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that devoted pilgrimage (tīrtha-sevā) and ritual bathing at a sacred ford—specifically Anaraka—functions as a moral-spiritual safeguard, preventing a person from reaching durgati (an evil destiny).

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker addresses a king and recommends the next sacred destination in a sequence of tīrthas, stating that bathing at Anaraka grants protective merit so that the pilgrim does not incur misfortune or a bad spiritual end.