Shloka 4

Prayaga-mahatmya

Glory of Prayaga and the Magha Bath at Triveni

Devanagari script

सहस्रगुणिता सापि भवेत्पश्चिमवाहिनी । सा देवि दर्शनादेव ब्रह्महत्यादिहारिणी ॥ ४ ॥

Transliteration

sahasraguṇitā sāpi bhavetpaścimavāhinī | sā devi darśanādeva brahmahatyādihāriṇī || 4 ||

Translation

Selbst jener heilige Fluss wird tausendfach wirksamer, wenn er westwärts fließt. O Göttin, schon durch bloßes Schauen auf sie tilgt sie die Sünde der brahmahatyā und andere schwere Vergehen.

Word by Word

• सहस्र-गुणिता: thousandfold
• सहस्र-गुणिता: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + गुणित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्—‘multiplied a thousandfold’

• सा: she/that
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘she/that (river)’

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (particle) ‘also/even’

• भवेत्: would be/becomes
• भवेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; ‘would be/should become’

• पश्चिम-वाहिनी: west-flowing (river)
• पश्चिम-वाहिनी: Karta/Predicate nominative (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक) + वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘west-flowing (river)’

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; पुनरुक्त-कर्तृपदम् ‘she’

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; संबोधनम्—‘O goddess’

• दर्शनात्: from seeing
• दर्शनात्: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेतुः—‘from (mere) seeing’

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle) ‘indeed/just’

• ब्रह्महत्या-आदि-हारिणी: remover of brahmahatyā and other (sins)
• ब्रह्महत्या-आदि-हारिणी: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्महत्या (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + हारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्—‘remover of brahmahatyā etc.’

Speaker

Narada (narrating tirtha-mahatmya in Uttara-Bhaga)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Devi
• Brahmahatya

FAQs

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

It teaches that certain tirthas—especially a west-flowing sacred river—carry extraordinarily amplified purifying power, so that even simple darśana (reverent sight) functions as a potent form of prayāścitta.

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

By stressing darśana as transformative, the verse aligns with bhakti sensibility: approaching the sacred (the Devi as tirtha) with faith and reverence grants purification, preparing the devotee for steadier devotion to the Divine.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects dharma-śāstra style prayāścitta logic and tirtha-vidhi (ritual protocol): the directionality of a river (paścimavāhinī) is treated as a meaningful tirtha-marker, guiding pilgrimage practice rather than grammar or astrology.