Shloka 14
Brāhmaṇya-प्रश्नः — The Inquiry into Attaining Brāhmaṇya
Mataṅga–Gardabhī Itihāsa
अपां हृद उपस्पृश्य वाजिमेधफलं लभेत् | ब्रह्मचारी जितक्रोध: सत्यसंधस्त्वहिंसक:
apāṁ hṛda upaspṛśya vājimedha-phalaṁ labhet | brahmacārī jitakrodhaḥ satyasaṁdhas tv ahiṁsakaḥ |
Sa pagligo sa banal na tubig ng lawa na tinatawag na Salilahada, nakakamit ang gantimpalang katumbas ng Aśvamedha—kung ang tao’y namumuhay bilang brahmacārin (nananatili sa brahmacarya), napagtagumpayan ang galit, matatag sa panatang katotohanan, at tapat sa ahiṃsā (di-karahasan).
अजड्रिय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that sacred acts like bathing at a tīrtha yield their highest merit only when grounded in ethical virtues—brahmacarya (disciplined continence), mastery over anger, truthfulness, and non-violence—thereby prioritizing inner character over mere external ritual.
A speaker (Ajadriya) describes the spiritual efficacy of a specific pilgrimage site, Salilahada, stating that a properly qualified practitioner who bathes there attains the merit equivalent to performing the grand Aśvamedha sacrifice.