Shloka 164

Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga

Pulastya’s Instruction

Devanagari script

तैजसं वारुणं तीर्थ दीप्यमानं स्वतेजसा । यत्र ब्रह्मादिभिवेंवैर्लषिभिश्व तपोधनै:,वहीं तैजस नामक वरुणदेवतासम्बन्धी तीर्थ है, जो अपने तेजसे प्रकाशित होता है। जहाँ ब्रह्मा आदि देवताओं तथा तपस्वी ऋषियोंने कार्तिकेयको देवसेना-पतिके पदपर अभिषिक्त किया था। कुरुश्रेष्ठ! तैजसतीर्थके पूर्वभागमें कुरुतीर्थ है

Transliteration

taijasaṁ vāruṇaṁ tīrthaṁ dīpyamānaṁ svatejasā | yatra brahmādibhir devair ṛṣibhiś ca tapodhanaiḥ kārtikeyaṁ devasena-pati-pade ’bhiṣiktam | kuruśreṣṭha! taijasa-tīrthasya pūrva-bhāge kuru-tīrtham asti |

Translation

Wika ni Ghūlastya: “Naroon ang Taijasa-tīrtha, banal kay Varuṇa, na nagniningning sa sariling liwanag. Doon, si Brahmā at ang iba pang mga diyos, kasama ang mga rishi na puspos ng matinding pag-aayuno at pagsasanay, ay nagluklok kay Kārtikeya sa tungkulin bilang pinunong kumander ng hukbong makalangit. O pinakamainam sa angkan ng Kuru, sa silangan ng Taijasa-tīrtha ay naroon ang Kuru-tīrtha.”

Word by Word

• {'taijasaṁ': 'radiant

• named Taijasa', 'vāruṇam': 'belonging to Varuṇa

• associated with the deity Varuṇa', 'tīrtham': 'sacred ford

• pilgrimage place', 'dīpyamānam': 'shining

• blazing forth', 'svatejasā': 'by its own splendor/energy', 'yatra': 'where', 'brahmādibhiḥ': 'by Brahmā and others', 'devaiḥ': 'by the gods', 'ṛṣibhiḥ': 'by seers', 'tapodhanaiḥ': 'whose wealth is austerity

• rich in tapas', 'kārtikeyam': 'Kārtikeya (Skanda)', 'devasenā-pati-pade': 'in the post of commander of the divine army', 'abhiṣiktam': 'consecrated

• anointed', 'kuruśreṣṭha': 'O best among the Kurus', 'pūrva-bhāge': 'in the eastern part', 'kuru-tīrtham': 'the Kuru ford/pilgrimage spot'}

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Ghūlastya
• Taijasa Tīrtha
• Varuṇa
• Brahmā
• Devas (gods)
• Ṛṣis (ascetic seers)
• Kārtikeya (Skanda)
• Devasenāpati (commander of the divine hosts)
• Kuru Tīrtha
• Kuru (lineage/people)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage links sacred places with moral and cosmic order: leadership is portrayed as legitimate when conferred through a righteous, ritually sanctioned consecration supported by gods and austerity-bearing sages, emphasizing tapas and dharma as foundations of authority.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker is describing a sequence of pilgrimage sites: the radiant Taijasa Tīrtha associated with Varuṇa, famed as the location where Kārtikeya was anointed commander of the divine army, and then points out that the Kuru Tīrtha lies to its east.