Veṅkaṭeśa-Māhātmya: Varāha Prelude, Descent of Śeṣācala, Svāmipuṣkariṇī and the Network of Tīrthas
with Dāna-Lakṣaṇas
पाशिनैरृतयोर्मध्ये शेषतीर्थं परं स्मृतम् / तत्र स्नात्वा शेषमूर्तिं प्रददाति द्विजातये
pāśinairṛtayormadhye śeṣatīrthaṃ paraṃ smṛtam / tatra snātvā śeṣamūrtiṃ pradadāti dvijātaye
পাশিন আৰু নৈঋতসকলৰ অঞ্চলৰ মাজত ‘শেষতীৰ্থ’ নামে পৰম তীৰ্থ স্মৰণীয়। তাত স্নান কৰি দ্বিজক (ব্ৰাহ্মণক) শেষৰ মূৰ্তি দান কৰিব লাগে।
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Perform snāna at Śeṣa-tīrtha and offer Śeṣa-mūrti to a dvija—ritual action aligned with sacred geography and proper recipient (pātra).
Vedantic Theme: Cosmic order upheld by dharma: honoring Śeṣa (Ananta) symbolizes steadiness and support; right action in right place with right recipient purifies the doer.
Application: If visiting such a tīrtha, combine bathing with charity to qualified recipients (education, priestly service, preservation of learning); contemplate ‘Ananta’ as inner steadiness amid life’s inauspicious zones.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tīrtha (ford)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana tīrtha-mahātmyas listing directional/liminal tīrthas and associated dānas (contextual continuation in the same adhyāya)
This verse presents Śeṣa-tīrtha as a “supreme” tīrtha situated between fearsome regions; bathing there and making a Śeṣa-related donation is taught as a meritorious, protective rite connected to the afterlife path.
By naming territories associated with Pāśins (binders) and Nairṛtas (ominous beings) and placing a tīrtha between them, the verse frames the journey as perilous yet navigable through purifying acts (snāna) and dharmic giving (dāna).
It encourages purification and charity: perform sacred bathing where appropriate and support qualified religious service (dāna to a brāhmaṇa), dedicating the act to stability and protection symbolized by Śeṣa (Ananta).