Shloka 36

The Greatness of Kāśī (Avimukta): Pilgrimage Calendar, Yātrā-Dharma, and the Network of Śiva-Liṅgas

Devanagari script

मत्स्योदरीजले गंगा ॐकारेश्वरसन्निधौ । तदा तस्मिञ्जले स्नात्वा दृष्ट्वा चोंकारमीश्वरम् ॥ ३६ ॥

Transliteration

matsyodarījale gaṃgā oṃkāreśvarasannidhau | tadā tasmiñjale snātvā dṛṣṭvā coṃkāramīśvaram || 36 ||

Translation

Dort fließt die Gaṅgā in den Wassern der Matsyodarī, in unmittelbarer Gegenwart Oṃkāreśvaras. Dann, nachdem man in jenem Wasser gebadet und den Herrn Oṃkāra geschaut hat, wird man gesegnet.

Word by Word

• मत्स्योदरी-जले: in the water of Matsyodarī
• मत्स्योदरी-जले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्योदरी (प्रातिपदिक) + जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मत्स्योदर्याः जलम्)

• गङ्गा: the Ganga (river)
• गङ्गा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• ॐकारेश्वर-सन्निधौ: in the vicinity of Oṃkāreśvara
• ॐकारेश्वर-सन्निधौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ॐकारेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + सन्निधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (ॐकारेश्वरस्य सन्निधिः)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• जले: in the water
• जले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having done)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having seen)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ॐकारम्: Oṃkāra
• ॐकारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ॐकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• ईश्वरम्: the Lord
• ईश्वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

Speaker

Narada (teaching in a tirtha-mahatmya context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Ganga
• Omkareshvara
• Ishvara
• Omkara
• Matsyodari

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It highlights a classic tirtha-mahatmya principle: sacred geography becomes spiritually potent when a holy river (Gaṅgā) is associated with a great deity-site (Oṃkāreśvara), and the paired acts of snāna (ritual bath) and darśana (beholding the Lord) are presented as a complete pilgrimage practice.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

Bhakti here is expressed through embodied devotion—approaching the Lord’s presence, bathing with reverence, and taking darśana of Īśvara as Oṃkāra—showing devotion as a lived practice rooted in sacred place, purity, and direct contemplative seeing.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse points to kalpa-style ritual practice: tīrtha-snānā (bathing rules/observance) and darśana at a deity-site, a practical application of dharma through pilgrimage rites rather than a technical exposition of vyākaraṇa or jyotiṣa.