Shloka 152

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

Pulastya’s Instruction

Devanagari script

त्रिरात्रोपोषित: स्नात्वा मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया । अग्निष्टोमातिरात्रा भ्यां फलं विन्दति मानव:

Transliteration

trirātropoṣitaḥ snātvā mucyate brahmahatyayā | agniṣṭomātirātrābhyāṁ phalaṁ vindati mānavaḥ ||

Translation

若人禁食三夜而后沐浴，便能解脱“杀婆罗门”之罪（brahma-slaughter）。凭此行持，他所得功德可比于名为阿耆尼什多摩（Agniṣṭoma）与阿提罗多罗（Atirātra）的苏摩祭。

Word by Word

त्रिरात्रोपोषितःone who has fasted for three nights

स्नात्वाhaving bathed

मुच्यतेis freed

ब्रह्महत्ययाfrom brahmin-slaying (the sin of killing a Brahmin)

अग्निष्टोमातिरात्राभ्याम्by (means of) the Agniṣṭoma and Atirātra (sacrifices)

फलम्fruit, result

विन्दतिobtains, finds

मानवःa man, human

Speaker

घुलस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

ब्रह्महत्या

अ

अग्निष्टोम

अ

अतिरात्र

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a prāyaścitta (atonement): a three-night fast followed by a purificatory bath is said to release one from the grave sin of brahmahatyā, and to yield merit likened to major Soma-sacrifices—emphasizing self-restraint and purification as restorative ethical disciplines.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker (here attributed as “घुलस्त्य”) states a rule of expiation, describing a specific observance and its spiritual result, within a broader discussion of dharma and remedial rites in the Vana Parva.