Shloka 9

Praise of Pilgrimage (Tīrtha) and Prelude to the Greatness of Prayāga

Devanagari script

अश्वत्थस्य तुलस्याश्च गवां कुर्यात्प्रदक्षिणम् । सर्वतीर्थफलंप्राप्य विष्णुलोके महीयते

Transliteration

aśvatthasya tulasyāśca gavāṃ kuryātpradakṣiṇam | sarvatīrthaphalaṃprāpya viṣṇuloke mahīyate

Translation

Wer den Aśvattha-Baum, die Tulasī-Pflanze und die Kühe in ehrfürchtiger Umrundung (pradakṣiṇā) umschreitet, erlangt die Frucht aller tīrthas und wird in Viṣṇus Wohnstatt geehrt.

Word by Word

• अश्वत्थस्य: of the aśvattha tree
• अश्वत्थस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), एकवचन

• तुलस्याः: of tulasī
• तुलस्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तुलसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• गवाम्: of cows
• गवाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (गो-शब्दः), षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• कुर्यात्: should do/perform
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• प्रदक्षिणम्: circumambulation (keeping right side)
• प्रदक्षिणम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मपद (object)

• सर्वतीर्थफलम्: the fruit of all pilgrimages
• सर्वतीर्थफलम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘सर्वतीर्थस्य फलम्’)

• प्राप्य: having obtained
• प्राप्य: Purva-kala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया/Gerundial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having obtained’

• विष्णुलोके: in Viṣṇu’s world
• विष्णुलोके: Desha-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरण/Place)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘विष्णोः लोकः’)

• महीयते: is honored, attains greatness
• महीयते: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः ‘is honored/glorified’

Speaker

Not specified in the provided excerpt (context-dependent within Svargakhaṇḍa 40).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: तुलस्याः + च → तुलस्याश्च; कुर्यात् + प्रदक्षिणम् → कुर्यात्प्रदक्षिणम्; सर्वतीर्थफलम् + प्राप्य → सर्वतीर्थफलंप्राप्य।

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Aśvattha
• Tulasī
• Cow (Go)

FAQs

Why does the verse say circumambulating aśvattha, tulasī, and cows equals the merit of all tīrthas?

It elevates accessible, daily acts of reverence (pradakṣiṇā) toward widely venerated sacred embodiments—tree, plant, and cow—by equating them with the cumulative fruit of pilgrimage, emphasizing devotion and dharmic honor over travel-based merit.

How does this verse reflect Vaiṣṇava bhakti in the Padma Purana?

The promised result culminates in Viṣṇuloka, framing the practice as Viṣṇu-centered devotion: honoring tulasī (strongly associated with Viṣṇu), the sacred aśvattha, and cows as acts that lead to divine proximity and grace.

What ethical or practical lesson does this teaching convey?

It encourages consistent reverence and protection of life-sustaining symbols (especially cows and sacred plants/trees), presenting simple, repeatable devotional conduct as spiritually potent and socially dharmic.