Shloka 181

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

Pulastya’s Instruction

Devanagari script

त्रिरात्रोपोषितस्तेन भवेत्‌ तुल्यो नराधिप । रुद्रमार्ग समासाद्य तीर्थसेवी नराधिप,अहोरात्रोपवासेन शक्रलोके महीयते । तदनन्तर बदरीपाचन नामसे प्रसिद्ध वसिष्ठके आश्रमपर जाय और वहाँ तीन रात उपवासपूर्वक रहकर बेरका फल खाय। जो मनुष्य वहाँ बारह वर्षोतक भलीभाँति त्रिरात्रोपवासपूर्वक बेरका फल खाता है, वह उन्हीं वसिष्ठके समान होता है। राजन! नरेश्वर! तीर्थसेवी मनुष्य रुद्रमार्गमें जाकर एक दिन-रात उपवास करे। इससे वह इन्द्रलोकमें प्रतिष्ठित होता है

Transliteration

trirātropoṣitas tena bhavet tulyo narādhipa | rudramārgaṃ samāsādya tīrthasevī narādhipa, ahorātropavāsena śakraloke mahīyate |

Translation

Sinabi ni Ghūlastya: “O hari, sa pag-aayuno roon nang tatlong gabi, ang isang tao’y nagiging kapantay niya sa gantimpalang-bisa. O panginoon ng mga tao, ang manlalakbay na makarating sa landas na banal kay Rudra at mag-ayuno nang isang araw at isang gabi ay pinararangalan sa daigdig ni Śakra (Indra). Pagkaraan nito, dapat magtungo sa kilalang ashram ni Vasiṣṭha sa Badarīpācana; manahan doon, mag-ayuno nang tatlong gabi, saka kainin ang bungang badarī. Ang sinumang sa loob ng labindalawang taon ay palaging kumakain ng badarī lamang matapos ang gayong tatlong-gabing pag-aayuno ay nagiging tulad ni Vasiṣṭha mismo.”

Word by Word

त्रिरात्रोपोषितःhaving fasted for three nights

तेनby that / thereby

भवेत्would become

तुल्यःequal

नराधिपO king

रुद्रमार्गम्the Rudra-path (Rudra’s way/place)

समासाद्यhaving reached

तीर्थसेवीa pilgrim / one who frequents holy places

नराधिपO king

अहोरात्रोपवासेनby fasting for a day and a night

शक्रलोकेin Indra’s world

महीयतेis honored / is glorified

तत्then / that

अनन्तरम्after that

बदरीपाचनBadarīpācana (name of a place/rite)

नामby name

से— (non-Sanskrit Hindi element in the provided text)

प्रसिद्धwell-known

वसिष्ठकेof Vasiṣṭha

आश्रमपरat the hermitage (Hindi postposition 'पर')

जायgoes

औरand

वहाँthere

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Ghūlastya

narādhipa (the king addressed)

Rudra (Śiva)

Rudramārga

Śakra (Indra)

Śakraloka

Badarīpācana

Vasiṣṭha

Vasiṣṭha’s āśrama

badarī fruit

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage teaches that disciplined austerity—especially fasting undertaken at sacred places with reverence—purifies and elevates a person. Pilgrimage (tīrtha-sevā) is presented not as travel alone but as ethical self-restraint (upavāsa), yielding spiritual merit, honor in heaven, and even sage-like stature when practiced steadily.

What is happening in the narrative?

Ghūlastya instructs a king about specific tīrthas and the vows to be performed there: a three-night fast that grants exceptional merit, a day-and-night fast on Rudra’s sacred path that leads to honor in Indra’s world, and a regimen at Vasiṣṭha’s hermitage near Badarīpācana where one fasts three nights and then eats badarī fruit—repeated over twelve years to attain Vasiṣṭha-like spiritual standing.