Shloka 34
The Procedure for Offering Piṇḍa (Funerary Rice-balls) — Gayā-māhātmya
अश्वमेधसहस्राणां सहस्रं यः समाचरेत् । नासौ तत्फलमाप्नोति फल्गुतीर्थे यदाप्नुयात् ॥ ३४ ॥
aśvamedhasahasrāṇāṃ sahasraṃ yaḥ samācaret | nāsau tatphalamāpnoti phalgutīrthe yadāpnuyāt || 34 ||
Dẫu một người có thể cử hành một nghìn lần một nghìn lễ tế Aśvamedha, người ấy vẫn không đạt được quả báo bằng quả mà người ta có thể thọ nhận tại Phalgu Tīrtha.
Suta (narrating Narada Purana’s Tirtha-Mahatmya dialogue)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
The verse exalts Phalgu Tīrtha as exceptionally potent: the merit gained there is declared to surpass even the cumulative results of vast, prestigious Vedic sacrifices, emphasizing the special grace attached to certain sacred places (tīrtha-mahātmya).
By valuing tīrtha-phala over grand ritual prestige, the verse points toward humility and God-centeredness: approaching a holy place with faith, purity, and remembrance can yield spiritual benefit beyond elaborate sacrificial display—an orientation aligned with Bhakti.
It implicitly contrasts Śrauta-yajña (like Aśvamedha, governed by Kalpa/Vedāṅga for ritual procedure) with tīrtha-sevā and snāna as a Purāṇic dharma practice, teaching that ritual magnitude alone is not the sole measure of spiritual fruit.