Shloka 54
Puruṣottama-māhātmya
The Greatness of Puruṣottama Kṣetra
किं तत्र प्रतिमा पूर्वं सुस्थिता वैष्णवी प्रभो । येनासौ नृपतिस्तत्र गत्वा सबलवाहनः ॥ ५४ ॥
kiṃ tatra pratimā pūrvaṃ susthitā vaiṣṇavī prabho | yenāsau nṛpatistatra gatvā sabalavāhanaḥ || 54 ||
O Lord, what Vaiṣṇava image of Viṣṇu had earlier been firmly established there, because of which that king went to that place together with his army and mounts?
Narada (questioning Sanatkumara in the dialogue frame)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
The verse highlights the sanctifying power of a properly established Vaiṣṇava pratimā at a tīrtha—so potent that it draws even a king to undertake a purposeful pilgrimage, indicating the icon’s role as a focal point of dharma and merit.
By centering the narrative on a Vaiṣṇava image, the verse points to bhakti expressed through darśana, worship, and tīrtha-yātrā—devotion that moves the heart (and even royal power) toward Viṣṇu’s presence.
Implicitly, it touches ritual procedure (kalpa-prayoga) around pratimā-pratiṣṭhā and temple worship norms; while not detailing a Vedāṅga explicitly, the context aligns with applied ritual science used in Vaiṣṇava tīrtha practice.