Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga
Pulastya’s Instruction
मासि मासि नरव्याप्र संनिहत्यां न संशय: । तीर्थसंनिहनादेव संनिहत्येति विश्रुता,पृथ्वीपर और आकाशमें जितने तीर्थ, नदी, हृद, तड़ाग, सम्पूर्ण झरने, उदपान, बावली, तीर्थ और मन्दिर हैं, वे प्रत्येक मासकी अमावस्याको संनिहतीमें अवश्य पधारेंगे। तीर्थोका संघात या समूह होनेके कारण ही वह संनिहती नामसे विख्यात है
ghulastya uvāca |
māsi māsi naravyāghra saṁnihatyāṁ na saṁśayaḥ |
tīrthasaṁnihānād eva saṁnihatyeti viśrutā ||
Wika ni Ghūlastya: “O tigre sa mga tao, walang pag-aalinlangan: buwan-buwan, ang lahat ng tīrtha ay nagtitipon sa Saṁnihatyā. Tunay na sumikat ang pangalang ‘Saṁnihatyā’ dahil mismo sa pagsasanib at pagdaraos ng pagtitipon ng mga tīrtha.”
घुलस्त्य उवाच
The verse teaches the sanctity of pilgrimage and the idea that certain places become especially holy because they are understood as meeting-points of many tīrthas; reverence for such confluences supports dharma through disciplined, faith-based practice.
A speaker named Ghulastya addresses a heroic listener (‘naravyāghra’) and explains why Saṁnihatyā is renowned: it is believed that the tīrthas ‘assemble’ there regularly, making it a celebrated pilgrimage locus.