Shloka 68
Brāhmaṇya-प्रश्नः — The Inquiry into Attaining Brāhmaṇya
Mataṅga–Gardabhī Itihāsa
यह तीर्थ-सेवनका कार्य परम पवित्र, पुण्यप्रद, स्वर्गकी प्राप्तिका सर्वोत्तम साधन और वेदोंका गुप्त रहस्य है। प्रत्येक तीर्थ पावन और स्नानके योग्य होता है ।।
idaṃ dadyād dvijātīnāṃ sādhōr ātma-hitasya ca | suhṛdāṃ ca japet karṇe śiṣyasyānugatasya ca ||
Ang gawain ng paglilingkod at pagdalaw sa mga tīrtha ay lubhang banal: nagbibigay-linis, nagkakaloob ng kabutihang-loob, at itinuturing na pinakamainam na daan tungo sa langit; at ito rin ang lihim na hiwaga ng mga Veda. Bawat tīrtha ay banal at karapat-dapat pagliguan sa ritwal. At ang kadakilaan ng mga tīrtha ay dapat ituro lamang sa mga dvija (ang “dalawang ulit na isinilang”), sa taong matuwid na naghahangad ng tunay na ikabubuti ng sarili, sa mga mapagkakatiwalaang kaibigan, at sa disiplinadong alagad na tapat na sumusunod—ibinubulong nang lihim, gaya ng binabantayang hiwaga ng Veda.
अजड्रिय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the ‘tīrtha-māhātmya’ (the sacred doctrine of pilgrimage and its purifying power) is to be transmitted with discretion—shared only with qualified recipients (twice-born, virtuous seekers, trusted friends, and obedient disciples), privately and reverently, as a guarded sacred knowledge.
A speaker is describing the sanctity and spiritual efficacy of visiting pilgrimage places and bathing there, while also prescribing the proper protocol for teaching this subject: it should be conveyed confidentially (as a whispered recitation) to select, worthy listeners rather than broadcast indiscriminately.