Shloka 74

Narmadā–Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Sequence of Sacred Fords and Their Fruits

Devanagari script

शुक्लतीर्थं महातीर्थमृषिसिद्धनिषेवितम् / तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन् पुनर्जन्म न विन्दति

Transliteration

śuklatīrthaṃ mahātīrthamṛṣisiddhaniṣevitam / tatra snātvā naro rājan punarjanma na vindati

Translation

شوكلا-تيرثا مَعبرٌ مقدّس عظيم، يرتاده الرِّشيّون والـسِّدّها (أهل الكمال). أيها الملك، من اغتسل هناك لا يلقى ولادةً جديدة بعد ذلك.

Word by Word

• śukla-tīrtham: Śukla-tīrtha
• śukla-tīrtham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śukla (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग — 'Śukla-tīrtha' (object of implied praise/mention)

• mahā-tīrtham: the great sacred place
• mahā-tīrtham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग — 'great sacred ford' (in apposition to śuklatīrtham)

• ṛṣi-siddha-niṣevitam: frequented by sages and siddhas
• ṛṣi-siddha-niṣevitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + siddha (प्रातिपदिक) + niṣevita (कृदन्त, √sev with nis-)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग — तत्पुरुषः; past participle 'frequented/served by sages and siddhas'

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb of place)

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव — 'having bathed'

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग — subject

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग — address

• punar-janma: rebirth
• punar-janma: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: punar (अव्यय) + janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग — अव्ययीभावः 'rebirth'

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• vindati: finds/undergoes
• vindati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present Indicative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 'finds/obtains'

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) conveying the tīrtha-māhātmya to the sages (framed as instruction addressed to a king: ‘rājan’)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Śukla-tīrtha
• Ṛṣis
• Siddhas

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

By promising freedom from rebirth through purification at a sanctified tīrtha, the verse presupposes the Purāṇic goal of realizing the deathless Self—mokṣa is the cessation of saṃsāra when avidyā and karmic residue are purified and transcended.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The explicit practice is tīrtha-snāna (ritual bathing), functioning as śauca (purificatory discipline). In Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-ethic, such purification supports higher sādhana—japa, dhyāna, and devotion—leading toward liberation.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

While not naming either deity, the verse reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrated sacred geography where tīrthas are empowered by the one Supreme (Īśvara) revered through both Shaiva and Vaishnava forms; purification and mokṣa are presented as a single, shared spiritual aim.