Shloka 19
Pulastya’s Tīrtha Enumeration: Sarasvatī, Naimiṣa, Gayā, and Associated Phalaśruti
Chapter 82
अग्निष्टोमादिभिय्यजैरिष्टवा विपुलदक्षिणै: । न तत् फलमवाप्रोति तीर्थाभिगमनेन यत्,मनुष्य तीर्थयात्रासे जिस फलको पाता है, उसे प्रचुर दक्षिणावाले अग्निष्टोम आदि यज्ञोंद्वारा यजन करके भी नहीं पा सकता
agniṣṭomādibhir yajñair iṣṭvā vipuladakṣiṇaiḥ | na tat phalam avāpnoti tīrthābhigamanena yat, manuṣya |
Ghūlastya nói: “Dẫu đã cử hành lễ Agniṣṭoma và các tế lễ khác, với lễ vật và thù lao tế sư dồi dào, người ta vẫn không đạt được quả báo như khi hành hương đến các tīrtha.”
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that the spiritual merit gained through tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage to sacred places) can exceed the merit of even expensive Vedic sacrifices such as the Agniṣṭoma, emphasizing accessible, dharmic practice over purely costly ritual performance.
In the tīrtha-related discourse of Vana Parva, the speaker Ghūlastya praises the power of visiting sacred places, contrasting it with grand sacrificial rites to highlight the exceptional fruit of pilgrimage.