Shloka 168

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

Pulastya’s Instruction

Devanagari script

ततो गच्छेदनरकं तीर्थसेवी नराधिप । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्‌ न दुर्गतिमवाप्रुयात्‌

Transliteration

tato gacched anarakaṃ tīrthasevī narādhipa | tatra snātvā naro rājan na durgatim avāpnuyāt ||

Translation

Vì thế, hỡi bậc chúa tể loài người, người chuyên cần hành hương các bến thiêng nên đến Anaraka. Tâu đại vương, tắm tại đó rồi thì người ta không rơi vào số phận xấu ác.

Word by Word

ततःthen/from there

गच्छेत्should go

नरकम्to Naraka (a hell/place named Naraka)

तीर्थसेवीa pilgrim/one who frequents sacred fords

नराधिपO king (lord of men)

तत्रthere

स्नात्वाhaving bathed

नरःa man

राजन्O king

नnot

दुर्गतिम्misfortune/bad state (evil destiny)

अवाप्नुयात्would attain

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Anaraka (tīrtha)

narādhipa (king, addressee)

rājan (king, addressee)

tīrthasevī (pilgrim/devotee of sacred places)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that devoted pilgrimage (tīrtha-sevā) and ritual bathing at a sacred ford—specifically Anaraka—functions as a moral-spiritual safeguard, preventing a person from reaching durgati (an evil destiny).

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker addresses a king and recommends the next sacred destination in a sequence of tīrthas, stating that bathing at Anaraka grants protective merit so that the pilgrim does not incur misfortune or a bad spiritual end.