Shloka 146
Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga
Pulastya’s Instruction
उत्तमं सर्वतीर्थानां यस्त्यजेदात्मनस्तनुम् । पृथूदके जप्यपरो नैव श्वो मरणं तपेत्,वह सब तीथर्थोमें उत्तम है, जो पृथूदकतीर्थमें जपपरायण होकर अपने शरीरका त्याग करता है, उसे पुनर्मुत्युका भय नहीं होता
uttamaṃ sarvatīrthānāṃ yas tyajed ātmanas tanum | pṛthūdake japyaparo naiva śvo maraṇaṃ tapet ||
“Trong mọi tīrtha, nơi này là tối thượng: ai chuyên tâm trì tụng japa mà xả bỏ thân mình tại Pṛthūdaka thì về sau không còn chịu nỗi sợ cái chết nữa.”
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse extols the spiritual efficacy of a tīrtha when joined with inner discipline: dying (i.e., relinquishing the body) at Pṛthūdaka while devoted to japa is presented as a means to transcend the recurring fear of death—pointing toward liberation rather than mere worldly merit.
In the tīrtha-māhātmya context of Vana Parva, the speaker praises Pṛthūdaka as exceptionally meritorious, describing the फल (result) for one who performs japa there and meets death at that sacred place: freedom from the dread of death in what follows.