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 ||
Ghūlastya nói: “Tâu Đại vương, bậc nghiền nát kẻ thù, hậu duệ nhà Bharata! Chỉ cần thực hiện cuộc hành hương đến thánh địa ấy thôi, con người đã đạt công đức ngang với tế lễ Rājasūya và 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).