Shloka 87

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

Pulastya’s Instruction

Devanagari script

तपश्चरन्ति विपुलं बहु वर्षमहस्रकम्‌ । दृषद्व॒त्यां नर: स्नात्वा तर्पयित्वा च देवता:

Transliteration

tapaś caranti vipulaṃ bahu varṣa-sahasrakam | dṛṣadvatyāṃ naraḥ snātvā tarpayitvā ca devatāḥ ||

Translation

Ghūlastya nói: “Người đời có thể tu khổ hạnh dồi dào suốt hàng ngàn ngàn năm. Nhưng chỉ cần tắm trong sông Dṛṣadvatī và dâng lễ rưới nước cúng chư thần đúng phép, cũng đạt được công đức thanh tịnh mà sự khổ hạnh lâu dài kia tìm cầu.”

Word by Word

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• चरन्ति: they practice / they perform
• चरन्ति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• विपुलम्: abundant, great
• विपुलम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बहु: much, many
• बहु: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वर्ष: year
• वर्ष: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सहस्रकम्: a thousand (as a unit/measure)
• सहस्रकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्रक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• दृषद्वत्याम्: in/at the (river) Dṛṣadvatī
• दृषद्वत्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दृषद्वती
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), Parasmaipada (usage)

• तर्पयित्वा: having satisfied / having offered libations to
• तर्पयित्वा: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive, causative), Parasmaipada (usage), causative (णिच्): तर्पयति

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• देवताः: the deities, gods
• देवताः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Ghūlastya
• Dṛṣadvatī
• devatāḥ (the gods)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts prolonged tapas with the concentrated spiritual efficacy of tīrtha-bathing and proper offerings to the gods, implying that disciplined ritual action performed in a sanctified context can powerfully support dharma and purification.

What is happening in the narrative?

Ghūlastya is describing the religious potency of the Dṛṣadvatī: a person who bathes there and performs tarpaṇa to the deities attains significant merit, comparable in intent to what long austerities aim to achieve.