Shloka 20

Prayāga-māhātmya — The Greatness of Prayāga and the Discipline of Pilgrimage

Devanagari script

एतत् प्रजापतिक्षेत्रं त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुतम् / अत्र स्नात्वा दिवं यान्ति ये मृतास्ते ऽपुनर्भवाः

Transliteration

etat prajāpatikṣetraṃ triṣu lokeṣu viśrutam / atra snātvā divaṃ yānti ye mṛtāste 'punarbhavāḥ

Translation

Dieses heilige Gebiet des Prajāpati ist in den drei Welten berühmt. Wer hier, nachdem er an diesem Ort gebadet hat, stirbt, steigt zum Himmel auf und kehrt nicht wieder zur Wiedergeburt zurück.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular) — 'क्षेत्रम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• प्रजापति-क्षेत्रम्: the field/holy region of Prajāpati
• प्रजापति-क्षेत्रम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष — 'प्रजापतेः क्षेत्रम्'

• त्रिषु: in the three
• त्रिषु: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural) — 'लोकेषु' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• लोकेषु: worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विश्रुतम्: well-known/renowned
• विश्रुतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); 'क्षेत्रम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया/Prerequisite action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्ना (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय; अव्ययभाव)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive) — पूर्वक्रिया

• दिवम्: heaven
• दिवम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; destination as object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक; 'diva' as heaven)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural) — सम्बन्धक (relative) to 'ते'

• मृताः: dead
• मृताः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त; भूतकर्मणि)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); 'ये' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural) — correlative to 'ये'

• अपुनर्भवाः: not subject to rebirth
• अपुनर्भवाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (निषेध) + पुनर्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); 'ते' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Narrator (Purana narrator describing the tirtha-mahatmya within the Kurma Purana’s sacred-geography discourse)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Prajapati
• Prajapati-kshetra
• Tri-loka
• Divam (Svarga)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

Indirectly: it frames liberation as apunarbhava (no return to rebirth), a classic marker of realizing the highest state beyond cyclical embodiment—here expressed through the tirtha’s sanctifying power rather than explicit Atman metaphysics.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The practice emphasized is tīrtha-snāna (ritual bathing) as a purificatory discipline; in Purāṇic soteriology it functions alongside yoga and devotion as an outer means that supports inner purification (śuddhi) leading toward higher attainments.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

It does not name Śiva or Viṣṇu directly; instead it reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrative worldview where sacred places and purifying rites are upheld as universally efficacious within a shared dharmic framework that can accommodate both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava paths.