Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 2
Narmadā-ādi-māhātmya
The Greatness of the Narmadā and Other Tīrthas
विस्तराद्योजनशतं योजनद्वयमायता षष्टिस्तीर्थसहस्राणि षष्टिकोट्यस् तथापराः
vistarādyojanaśataṃ yojanadvayamāyatā ṣaṣṭistīrthasahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭikoṭyas tathāparāḥ
Ihre Breite beträgt hundert Yojanas und ihre Länge zwei Yojanas; es gibt sechzigtausend tīrthas (heilige Furten) und darüber hinaus weitere sechzig koṭis.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Provides a puranic-style quantitative description of a sacred river’s dimensions and the abundance of tirthas; used for mapping sacred imagination, pilgrimage enumeration, and recitation of mahātmya lists.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Narmadā-parimāṇa and Tīrtha-saṅkhyā","lookup_keywords":["yojana","parimana","tirtha-sankhya","Narmada-mahatmya","shashti-sahasra"],"quick_summary":"States measurements in yojanas and enumerates tīrthas in vast numbers, emphasizing inexhaustible sacred access points. Practically, it legitimizes many local ghats as tirthas within the Narmadā sphere."}
Alamkara Type: Atishayokti
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Merit)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: River
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A cartographic sacred map motif: the Narmadā shown as a broad ribbon with countless marked tīrthas (small shrines/ghats) along its course; numbers and yojana measures indicated as inscriptions.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized river as a serpentine band across the panel, repeated ghat motifs and tiny shrines indicating innumerable tīrthas, decorative numerals/inscriptions, adbhuta tone, traditional color blocks.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-highlighted river waves and repeated temple icons along the banks, ornate border with numeric motifs (60,000; 60 crores) rendered as decorative script, auspicious grandeur.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, schematic yet elegant ‘sacred geography chart’: river with evenly spaced tīrtha markers, yojana measures annotated, clear instructional layout, soft palette and fine detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature map-like landscape with a winding river, many small pavilions/temples along banks, tiny pilgrims at ghats, calligraphic labels for measures and counts, meticulous detail."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विस्तराद्योजनशतं → विस्तरात् + योजनशतम्; योजनद्वयमायता → योजनद्वयम् + आयता; षष्टिकोट्यस् → षष्टिकोट्यः (visarga sandhi before consonant).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 113 (subsequent verses listing specific tirthas around Amarakantaka and beyond)
FAQs
It provides a technical sacred-geography description: the measured extent (in yojanas) and the enumerated count of tīrthas, used to frame a tīrtha-māhātmya/pilgrimage context.
By recording quantitative details—traditional distance units (yojana) and large-scale enumeration of sacred sites—it preserves a catalog-style, reference-like layer of Purāṇic knowledge alongside ritual and devotional instruction.
By emphasizing the vastness and multitude of tīrthas, the verse elevates the field of pilgrimage as a major source of puṇya (religious merit) and purification, encouraging tīrtha-yātrā as a meritorious practice.