Shloka 34

Sacred Abodes of Vishnu & Shiva — Catalogue of Vishnu and Shiva’s Sacred Abodes (Tirtha-Mahatmya within the Pulastya–Narada Frame)

Devanagari script

बलभ्यामपि गोमित्रं कटाहे पङ्कजप्रियम् उपेन्द्रं सिंहलद्वीपे शक्राह्वे कुन्दमालिनम्

Transliteration

balabhyāmapi gomitraṃ kaṭāhe paṅkajapriyam upendraṃ siṃhaladvīpe śakrāhve kundamālinam

Translation

And (they know) Gomitra in Kaṭāha, beloved of the lotus (Paṅkajapriya); and Upendra in Siṃhala-dvīpa; and (a form) called Kundamālin in Śakrāhva.

Speakers

• Narratorial/compendial voice within the tīrtha-catalogue (speaker not specified in the excerpt)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Upendra)
• Indra (Śakra)

Key Themes

• Sacred geography beyond mainland (dvīpa references)
• Vaiṣṇava epithets within a broader kṣetra-catalogue
• Indra–Viṣṇu linkage (Upendra)
• Floral/lotus symbolism in devotion

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why is Viṣṇu called “Upendra” here, and what does it imply?

Upendra means “Indra’s younger (brother),” a standard name for Viṣṇu. In Purāṇic theology it often signals Viṣṇu’s role in restoring Indra’s sovereignty—especially thematically aligned with the Vāmana episode—though this verse itself functions as a geographic placement of that Upendra-form.

What is the geographical value of mentioning Siṃhaladvīpa?

It extends the sacred map to island geographies, showing that tīrtha-identity and divine localization are not confined to a single region. Such references help reconstruct the Purāṇa’s imagined pilgrimage-world (kṣetra-network) across Bhārata and adjacent lands.

How should we read “Śakrāhva” and “Kundamālin” together?

Śakrāhva is the toponym (“Indra-named place”), while Kundamālin is the deity’s localized epithet (“garlanded with kunda flowers”). The pairing follows the catalogue’s method: place-name + distinctive divine name to uniquely index a worship-site.