Shloka 53

Account of Various Sacred Tīrthas

Pilgrimage Merits and Prayāga Supremacy

Devanagari script

मेधावनं समासाद्य पितृदेवांश्च तर्पयेत् । अग्निष्टोममवाप्नोति स्मृतिं मेधां च विंदति

Transliteration

medhāvanaṃ samāsādya pitṛdevāṃśca tarpayet | agniṣṭomamavāpnoti smṛtiṃ medhāṃ ca viṃdati

Translation

ครั้นถึงเมธาวนะแล้ว พึงถวายตัรปณะ (น้ำบูชา) แด่ปิตฤ (บรรพชน) และเหล่าเทวะ; ด้วยเหตุนี้ย่อมได้บุญเทียบอัคนิษโฏมยัญ และบังเกิดความจำกับเมธา คือปัญญาเฉียบคม

Word by Word

• मेधावनम्: Medhā-forest (name of a forest)
• मेधावनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: medhā-vana (प्रातिपदिक); medhā (प्रातिपदिक) + vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• समासाद्य: having reached; approaching
• समासाद्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sam-ā-sad (धातु) → samāsādya (कृदन्त, ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-अव्यय)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय — ‘having reached’

• पितृदेवान्: the Fathers (ancestors) and the gods
• पितृदेवान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ-deva (प्रातिपदिक); pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• तर्पयेत्: should satisfy; should offer libations to
• तर्पयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṛp (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अग्निष्टोमम्: Agniṣṭoma (a Soma-sacrifice)
• अग्निष्टोमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni-ṣṭoma (प्रातिपदिक); agni (प्रातिपदिक) + ṣṭoma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अवाप्नोति: obtains; attains
• अवाप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-āp (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• स्मृतिम्: memory
• स्मृतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: smṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• मेधाम्: intelligence; wisdom
• मेधाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: medhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• विंदति: finds; gains
• विंदति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (context not provided for dialogue attribution)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: forest

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: पितृदेवांश्च = पितृदेवान् + च (द्वन्द्व); अग्निष्टोममवाप्नोति = अग्निष्टोमम् + अवाप्नोति; समासाद्य = सम् + आसाद्य (ल्यप्)

Characters & Entities

• Medhāvana
• Pitṛs
• Devas
• Agniṣṭoma

FAQs

What practice does this verse prescribe at Medhāvana?

It prescribes performing tarpaṇa—offering libations/satisfaction rites—to both the Pitṛs (ancestors) and the Devas (gods) upon reaching Medhāvana.

What is the spiritual result promised by this verse?

The verse states that one gains the merit equivalent to performing the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice and also obtains smṛti (memory) and medhā (intelligence).

What ethical or devotional lesson is implied here?

It highlights gratitude and duty toward ancestors and reverence toward the gods, presenting simple sacred observances (tarpaṇa at a tīrtha/holy place) as a powerful, accessible path to spiritual merit and inner refinement.