Pulastya’s Tīrtha Enumeration: Sarasvatī, Naimiṣa, Gayā, and Associated Phalaśruti
Chapter 82
गमनादेव राजेन्द्र दीर्घसत्रमरिंदम । राजसूयाश्चदमेधाभ्यां फलं प्राप्नोति भारत,शत्रुओंका दमन करनेवाले भरतवंशी राजेन्द्र! वहाँकी यात्रा करने मात्रसे मनुष्य राजसूय और अश्वमेध यज्ञोंक समान फल पाता है
gamanād eva rājendra dīrghasatram arindama | rājasūyāśvamedhābhyāṁ phalaṁ prāpnoti bhārata ||
Wika ni Ghūlastya: “O hari, tagapagdurog ng mga kaaway—O inapo ni Bharata—sa paglalakbay lamang patungo sa banal na pook na iyon, nakakamit ng tao ang kapantay na gantimpala ng mga handog na Rājasūya at Aśvamedha.”
घुलस्त्य उवाच
The verse elevates tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage): sincere travel to a sacred place can yield merit comparable to the grand royal sacrifices (Rājasūya and Aśvamedha), emphasizing accessibility of spiritual attainment beyond costly rites.
A speaker named Ghūlastya addresses a kingly Bhārata hero, praising a particular sacred destination and declaring that merely going there grants the fruit of major sacrifices, as part of the Vana Parva’s tīrtha-mahātmya (glorification of holy places).