Shloka 157
Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga
Pulastya’s Instruction
Devanagari script
ततो गच्छेत धर्मज्ञ तीर्थ शतसहस्रकम्
Transliteration
tato gacchet dharmajña tīrtha-śata-sahasrakam
Translation
Rồi sau đó, hỡi người am tường dharma, nên tiến bước đến một trăm nghìn bến thánh—thực hành cuộc hành hương rộng lớn như một kỷ luật của chính đạo và thanh tịnh.
Word by Word
ततःthen; thereafter
ततः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (पञ्चमी-अर्थे: 'from there/thereafter')
गच्छेत्should go
गच्छेत्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootगम् (गच्छ्)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्
धर्मज्ञO knower of dharma
धर्मज्ञ:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्मज्ञ (धर्म + ज्ञ)
Formपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचनम्
तीर्थto a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
तीर्थ:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootतीर्थ
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्
शतसहस्रकम्a hundred-thousand (i.e., 100,000 in number)
शतसहस्रकम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootशतसहस्रक (शत + सहस्र + क)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्
Speaker
घुलस्त्य उवाच
Characters & Entities
T
tīrtha (pilgrimage sites)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse commends tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) as a dharmic discipline: a person who understands righteousness is urged to undertake extensive visits to sacred places as a means of moral and spiritual refinement.
A speaker addresses a 'knower of dharma' and gives prescriptive guidance—directing him to go onward to many tīrthas, continuing a pilgrimage itinerary within the Vana Parva context.