Shloka 159

Devanagari script

प्राइनदीं च समासाद्य कृतात्मा भवति द्विज: | सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा शक्रलोक॑ च गच्छति

Transliteration

Prāyaṇadīṁ ca samāsādya kṛtātmā bhavati dvijaḥ | sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā śakralokaṁ ca gacchati ||

Translation

ప్రాయణదీ నదిని చేరిన ద్విజుడు ఆత్మసంయమాన్ని పొందుతాడు. సమస్త పాపాల నుండి శుద్ధచిత్తుడై శక్రలోకాన్ని (ఇంద్రలోకాన్ని) చేరుతాడు.

Word by Word

प्रायnear; almost; in the vicinity

नदीम्river

चand

समासाद्यhaving approached; having reached

कृतात्माself-controlled; disciplined (one whose self is mastered)

भवतिbecomes; is

द्विजःa Brahmin; twice-born

सर्वपापविशुद्धात्माone whose self is purified from all sins

शक्रलोकम्the world of Śakra (Indra); heaven

चand

गच्छतिgoes; attains

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Ghūlastya

Prāyaṇa River

Dvija

Śakra (Indra)

Śakraloka (Indra’s heaven)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that pilgrimage to a sacred tīrtha, when joined with inner discipline (kṛtātmā), is portrayed as spiritually purifying—removing sin and leading to a higher post-mortem destiny (Śakra’s heaven). The emphasis is not only on reaching a place but on becoming self-controlled and purified in character.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the context of the Vana Parva’s tīrtha-mahātmya passages, the speaker Ghūlastya describes the fruit of visiting a particular sacred river, the Prāyaṇa. He states the merit gained: the pilgrim becomes self-possessed, purified of sins, and attains Indra’s world.