Shloka 22

Brāhmaṇya-प्रश्नः — The Inquiry into Attaining Brāhmaṇya

Mataṅga–Gardabhī Itihāsa

Devanagari script

महागड़्मुपस्पृश्य कृत्तिकाड्रारके तथा | पक्षमेकं निराहार: स्वर्गमाप्रोति निर्मल:,महागड़ा और कृतिकाज्ञारक तीर्थमें स्नान करके एक पक्षतक निराहार रहनेवाला मनुष्य निर्मल--निष्पाप होकर स्वर्गलोकमें जाता है

Transliteration

Mahāgaḍam upaspṛśya Kṛttikāḍrārake tathā | pakṣam ekaṁ nirāhāraḥ svargam āpnoti nirmalaḥ ||

Translation

మహాగడా తీర్థంలోను కృత్తికాడ్రారక తీర్థంలోను స్నానం చేసి, ఒక పక్షకాలం నిరాహారంగా ఉండేవాడు నిర్మలుడై—పాపరహితుడై—స్వర్గలోకాన్ని పొందుతాడు।

Word by Word

महागडम्the (tirtha) Mahāgaḍa

उपस्पृश्यhaving bathed/touched water (performed ablution)

कृत्तिकाड्रारकेat/in the Kṛttikāḍrāraka (tīrtha)

तथाand likewise/also

पक्षम्a fortnight

एकम्one

निराहारःfasting; without food

स्वर्गम्heaven

आप्नोतिattains

निर्मलःpure

Speaker

अजड्रिय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Ajadriya

Mahāgaḍa tīrtha

Kṛttikāḍrāraka tīrtha

Svarga (heaven)

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 disciplined austerity (fasting for a fortnight) combined with tīrtha-bathing is presented as a powerful means of purification and the accumulation of merit, culminating in the reward of heaven.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker named Ajadriya is enumerating the spiritual fruits of visiting specific sacred bathing places (Mahāgaḍa and Kṛttikāḍrāraka) and observing a prescribed vow—here, a fortnight-long fast—describing the resulting purity and heavenly attainment.