Shloka 62

Prahlada's Tirtha Circuit — Prahlada’s Pilgrimage Circuit: Tirtha-Mahatmya from Naimisha to Rudrakoti and Shalagrama

Devanagari script

तत्र देवं महेशानं जटाधरमिति श्रुतम् तं दृष्ट्वार्ऽच्य हरिं चासौ तीर्थं कनखलं ययौ

Transliteration

tatra devaṃ maheśānaṃ jaṭādharamiti śrutam taṃ dṛṣṭvār'cya hariṃ cāsau tīrthaṃ kanakhalaṃ yayau

Translation

There (in that region) he beheld the god Maheśāna, famed as ‘the matted-haired one’ (Jaṭādhara). Having seen him and performed worship—and also having worshipped Hari—he then went to the tīrtha called Kanakhala.

Speakers

• Narrator voice describing the pilgrim’s worship and onward journey.

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Maheśāna, Jaṭādhara)
• Viṣṇu (Hari)

Key Themes

• Śaiva-Vaiṣṇava unity in pilgrimage practice
• Tīrtha as a ‘ford’ of merit
• Darśana (seeing the deity) as efficacious

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why are both Maheśāna (Śiva) and Hari (Viṣṇu) worshipped in the same verse?

Tīrtha-māhātmyas often present integrated devotion: the pilgrim’s merit is enhanced by honoring multiple divine forms. The text’s sequencing—Śiva darśana and worship, then Hari worship—models non-exclusive bhakti and reinforces Purāṇic harmonization of sectarian traditions.

What is Kanakhala, and why is it important?

Kanakhala is a named tīrtha, widely remembered in North Indian sacred geography near Haridvāra (often linked with Gaṅgā-related pilgrimage circuits). Its appearance here functions as a waypoint in a larger itinerary, anchoring the narrative in recognizable pilgrimage topography.

Does ‘jaṭādhara’ add any specific theological meaning beyond description?

Yes. Jaṭādhara evokes Śiva’s ascetic sovereignty and his association with sacred rivers and tīrthas (matted locks as a symbol of containing/mediating cosmic forces). In tīrtha contexts it underscores the shrine’s ascetic-Śaiva character and the sanctity of the locale.