Shloka 165

Tīrtha-yātrā: Phalaśruti and Sacred Geography from Lohitya to Prayāga

Pulastya’s Instruction

Devanagari script

सैनापत्येन देवानामभिषिक्तो गुहस्तदा । तैजसस्य तु पूर्वेण कुरुतीर्थ कुरूद्वह,वहीं तैजस नामक वरुणदेवतासम्बन्धी तीर्थ है, जो अपने तेजसे प्रकाशित होता है। जहाँ ब्रह्मा आदि देवताओं तथा तपस्वी ऋषियोंने कार्तिकेयको देवसेना-पतिके पदपर अभिषिक्त किया था। कुरुश्रेष्ठ! तैजसतीर्थके पूर्वभागमें कुरुतीर्थ है

Transliteration

senāpatyena devānām abhiṣikto guhas tadā | taijasasya tu pūrveṇa kurutīrtha kurūdvaha ||

Translation

Khi ấy, Guhā (Kārttikeya) được chư thần làm lễ quán đảnh, tấn phong làm Tổng chỉ huy đạo quân của họ. Hỡi bậc ưu tú trong dòng Kuru, về phía đông của Taijasa-tīrtha là Kuru-tīrtha—một bến thiêng gắn với Varuṇa, lừng danh vì vẻ huy hoàng tự phát; chính tại đó, Brahmā và các thần linh khác, cùng các hiền triết khổ hạnh, đã cử hành lễ xức dầu tấn phong Kārttikeya làm người lãnh đạo thiên binh.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'senāpatya', 'definition': 'commandership

• the office of commander-in-chief'}, {'term': 'devānām', 'definition': 'of the gods'}, {'term': 'abhiṣiktaḥ', 'definition': 'consecrated, anointed, installed (in office)'}, {'term': 'guhaḥ', 'definition': 'Guha

• a name of Kārttikeya/Skanda'}, {'term': 'tadā', 'definition': 'then, at that time'}, {'term': 'taijasasya', 'definition': "of Taijasa (the Taijasa-tīrtha)

• 'luminous, radiant' by sense"}, {'term': 'pūrveṇa', 'definition': 'to the east of

• in the eastern part'}, {'term': 'kurutīrtha', 'definition': 'Kuru-tīrtha

• a sacred bathing-place/ford'}, {'term': 'kurūdvaha', 'definition': 'O best of the Kurus (honorific address)'}]

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Guha (Kārttikeya/Skanda)
• Devas
• Taijasa-tīrtha
• Kuru-tīrtha
• Kuru (as lineage/address)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights the sanctity of tīrthas and the ethical idea that rightful authority—especially military leadership—should be established through legitimate consecration and divine/communal sanction, not mere force.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker points out sacred sites: Taijasa-tīrtha and, to its east, Kuru-tīrtha, recalling the mythic event where the gods anointed Guha (Kārttikeya) as their commander-in-chief.