Shloka 79

Narmadā–Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Sequence of Sacred Fords and Their Fruits

Devanagari script

ततो गच्छेत राजेन्द्र यमतीर्थ मनुत्तमम् / कृष्णपक्षे चतुर्दश्यां माघमासे युधिष्ठिर / स्नानं कृत्वा नक्तभीजी न पश्येद् योनिसङ्कटम्

Transliteration

tato gaccheta rājendra yamatīrtha manuttamam / kṛṣṇapakṣe caturdaśyāṃ māghamāse yudhiṣṭhira / snānaṃ kṛtvā naktabhījī na paśyed yonisaṅkaṭam

Translation

Daraufhin, o Bester der Könige, soll man zur höchst vortrefflichen Yama-Tīrtha gehen. O Yudhiṣṭhira, am vierzehnten Mondtag (caturdaśī) der dunklen Monatshälfte (kṛṣṇa-pakṣa) im Monat Māgha, nachdem man dort gebadet und das Gelübde des naktabhojī (nur nachts zu essen) gehalten hat, erblickt man nicht mehr das Leid, erneut in den Schoß eingehen zu müssen.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb (thereafter/from there)

• गच्छेत: should go
• गच्छेत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; injunction ‘should go’

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः)

• यमतीर्थम्: the sacred place of Yama
• यमतीर्थम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य तीर्थम्)

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed, excellent
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; superlative adjective qualifying तीर्थम्

• कृष्णपक्षे: in the dark fortnight
• कृष्णपक्षे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्णपक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (कृष्णः पक्षः)

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्

• माघमासे: in the month of Māgha
• माघमासे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माघमास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (माघस्य मासः)

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• स्नानम्: bath
• स्नानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; verbal noun used as object of kṛtvā

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भाव (gerund/absolutive); ‘having done’

• नक्तभीजी: one who eats only at night
• नक्तभीजी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्त + भीजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष-भावः ‘one who eats at night’ (naktam bhunakti iti)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; negation particle

• पश्येत्: would see/experience
• पश्येत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; ‘should see/experience’

• योनि-सङ्कटम्: distress of (re)birth / womb-trouble
• योनि-सङ्कटम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि + सङ्कट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (योन्याः सङ्कटम्)

Speaker

Narrator-sage addressing King (rājendra); verse also vocatively addresses Yudhiṣṭhira within the discourse

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yama-tirtha
• Magha
• Yudhisthira

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it frames liberation as freedom from yonisaṅkaṭa (the compulsion of rebirth), implying the highest aim is release into one’s true nature beyond embodied becoming, attained through purificatory discipline and sacred rites.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

A vrata-based discipline is taught: Māgha-snāna at a tīrtha combined with naktabhojī (regulated diet/fasting). In Purāṇic yoga-dharma, such niyama-like restraints purify karma and steady the mind for higher sādhana.

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

This specific verse is tīrtha-vrata oriented and does not explicitly mention Śiva–Viṣṇu unity; yet it aligns with the Kurma Purāṇa’s synthesis by presenting liberation as accessible through dharma (vrata, tīrtha, snāna) that supports the broader yogic and theistic path taught elsewhere.