Shloka 14
Brāhmaṇya-प्रश्नः — The Inquiry into Attaining Brāhmaṇya
Mataṅga–Gardabhī Itihāsa
अपां हृद उपस्पृश्य वाजिमेधफलं लभेत् | ब्रह्मचारी जितक्रोध: सत्यसंधस्त्वहिंसक:
apāṁ hṛda upaspṛśya vājimedha-phalaṁ labhet | brahmacārī jitakrodhaḥ satyasaṁdhas tv ahiṁsakaḥ |
جو شخص برہماچاری ہو، غصّے پر قابو پا چکا ہو، سچ کی قسم پر قائم ہو اور اَہِنسا کا پابند ہو کر ‘اپاں ہِرد’ (سلیلہَد) کے مقدّس جل میں غسل کرے—وہ اشومیدھ یَجْن کے برابر ثواب پاتا ہے۔
अजड्रिय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that sacred acts like bathing at a tīrtha yield their highest merit only when grounded in ethical virtues—brahmacarya (disciplined continence), mastery over anger, truthfulness, and non-violence—thereby prioritizing inner character over mere external ritual.
A speaker (Ajadriya) describes the spiritual efficacy of a specific pilgrimage site, Salilahada, stating that a properly qualified practitioner who bathes there attains the merit equivalent to performing the grand Aśvamedha sacrifice.