Shloka 4

Account of Various Sacred Tīrthas

Pilgrimage Merits and Prayāga Supremacy

Devanagari script

गंगायास्त्वथ राजेंद्र सागरस्य च संगमे । अश्वमेधं दशगुणं प्रवदंति मनीषणः

Transliteration

gaṃgāyāstvatha rājeṃdra sāgarasya ca saṃgame | aśvamedhaṃ daśaguṇaṃ pravadaṃti manīṣaṇaḥ

Translation

يا أيها الملك، عند ملتقى الغانغا بالمحيط يقرر الحكماء أن الثواب هناك مضاعف عشر مرات، مساوٍ لثمر أشفاميدها.

Word by Word

• गङ्गायाः: of the Gaṅgā
• गङ्गायाः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/विशेषार्थक (particle: 'but/indeed')

• अथ: and then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अनुक्रम-बोधक (sequencing particle)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास: राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः

• सागरस्य: of the ocean
• सागरस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• सङ्गमे: at the confluence
• सङ्गमे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अश्वमेधम्: Aśvamedha sacrifice
• अश्वमेधम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + मेध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• दशगुणम्: tenfold
• दशगुणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष-समास: दश गुणाः यस्य (tenfold)

• प्रवदन्ति: declare/say
• प्रवदन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• मनीषणः: the wise (sages)
• मनीषणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनीषिन्/मनीषा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrator/sage addressing a king, implied by 'rājendra')

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: गंगायास्त्वथ → गङ्गायाः + तु + अथ; प्रवदंति → प्रवदन्ति (अनुस्वार-लिप्यन्तर/वर्तनी-भेद)

Characters & Entities

• Ganga
• Sagara (Ocean)
• Ashvamedha

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of the Gaṅgā–ocean confluence in this verse?

It presents the confluence (saṅgama) of Gaṅgā and the ocean as an exceptionally powerful tīrtha where spiritual merit is greatly amplified.

Why does the verse compare the merit to an Aśvamedha sacrifice?

The Aśvamedha is a paradigmatic, high-prestige Vedic rite; the comparison elevates tīrtha-pilgrimage (and sacred bathing/observance there) as yielding comparable or greater fruit—here stated as tenfold.

What ethical or practical lesson does this verse imply for practitioners?

It encourages seeking sanctifying practices accessible to more people—pilgrimage and reverence at sacred places—while honoring the tradition’s valuation of intention, purity, and wise guidance.