Shloka 15

Śivakṣetra–Tīrtha–Māhātmya

The Salvific Function of Shiva’s Sacred Domains

Devanagari script

कृष्णवेणी पुण्यनदी सर्वपापक्षयावहा । साष्टादशमुखाप्रोक्ता विष्णुलोकप्रदायिनी

Transliteration

kṛṣṇaveṇī puṇyanadī sarvapāpakṣayāvahā | sāṣṭādaśamukhāproktā viṣṇulokapradāyinī

Translation

Die Kṛṣṇaveṇī ist ein heiliger Fluss, der alle Sünden zum Schwinden bringt. Sie wird als „achtzehnmündig“ (mit achtzehn Armen) bezeichnet und verleiht das Erlangen der Himmelswelt Viṣṇus.

Word by Word

• कृष्णवेणी: Kṛṣṇaveṇī (river)
• कृष्णवेणी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + वेणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; river-name; karmadhāraya 'dark-braided/black-stream'

• पुण्य-नदी: holy river
• पुण्य-नदी: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; appositional to कृष्णवेणी

• सर्व-पाप-क्षय-आवहा: bringing the destruction of all sins
• सर्व-पाप-क्षय-आवहा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + क्षय + आवह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; tatpuruṣa 'bringing about the destruction of all sins'

• सा: she (that river)
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; pronoun referring to the river

• अष्टादश-मुखा: eighteen-mouthed/faced
• अष्टादश-मुखा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टादश + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; dvigu 'having eighteen mouths/faces'

• प्रोक्ता: is said; is called
• प्रोक्ता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√वच् (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विष्णु-लोक-प्रदायिनी: bestower of Viṣṇu’s world
• विष्णु-लोक-प्रदायिनी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु + लोक + प्रदायिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; tatpuruṣa 'giver of Viṣṇu-loka'

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The verse continues the nadī-māhātmya pattern: a river’s purifying power is described along with a loka-phala (here Viṣṇuloka). In Śaiva Siddhānta reading, such fruits are within saṃsāric hierarchies unless transmuted by Śiva’s anugraha; the mention of Viṣṇuloka functions as graded phala for tīrtha-sevā.

Significance: Tīrtha-contact is presented as sarva-pāpa-kṣaya and as granting a high celestial attainment (Viṣṇuloka), illustrating karma-phala gradation for the bound soul (paśu) under māyā.

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It praises Kṛṣṇaveṇī as a tīrtha whose sanctity purifies the seeker—symbolizing inner cleansing (mala-kṣaya) and the karmic lightening that supports spiritual ascent.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

In the Shiva Purana, tīrtha-glorification commonly accompanies Linga worship and vrata observances: bathing in a sacred river is presented as a preparatory purification that makes one fit for Saguna Shiva devotion and temple rites.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Tīrtha-snāna (ritual bath) with remembrance of the deity and dedication of the merit; as a Shaiva takeaway, it can be paired with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” before or after the bath.