Shloka 66

Bhāratavarṣa–Navabheda-Vyavasthā

The Nine Divisions of Bhāratavarṣa and Its Sacred Geography

Devanagari script

पुष्करे धातकीखण्डे महावीते महामुने । न्यग्रोधं पुष्करद्वीपे ब्रह्मणः स्थानमुत्तमम्

Transliteration

puṣkare dhātakīkhaṇḍe mahāvīte mahāmune | nyagrodhaṃ puṣkaradvīpe brahmaṇaḥ sthānamuttamam

Translation

O great sage, in Puṣkara—within the Dhātakī-khaṇḍa, in the sacred tract called Mahāvīta—there stands the Nyagrodha (banyan) on Puṣkaradvīpa, the most excellent holy seat of Brahmā.

Word by Word

• puṣkare: in Puṣkara
• puṣkare: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Saptamī vibhakti (Locative), Ekavacana

• dhātakī-khaṇḍe: in the Dhātakī region/section
• dhātakī-khaṇḍe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhātakī (प्रातिपदिक) + khaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'of Dhātakī') compound; napuṃsakaliṅga, Saptamī vibhakti, Ekavacana

• mahā-vīte: in the great expanse/tract (Mahāvīta)
• mahā-vīte: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + vīta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (descriptive) compound; napuṃsakaliṅga, Saptamī vibhakti, Ekavacana

• mahā-mune: O great sage
• mahā-mune: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (पूर्वपद) + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya; Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana vibhakti (Vocative), Ekavacana

• nyagrodham: the banyan tree
• nyagrodham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nyagrodha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative), Ekavacana

• puṣkara-dvīpe: in Puṣkara island/continent
• puṣkara-dvīpe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣkara (प्रातिपदिक) + dvīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa compound; Puṃliṅga, Saptamī vibhakti (Locative), Ekavacana

• brahmaṇaḥ: of Brahmā
• brahmaṇaḥ: Sambandha/Ṣaṣṭhī (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive), Ekavacana

• sthānam: abode/place
• sthānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative), Ekavacana

• uttamam: excellent/supreme
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of sthānam

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: This verse situates Brahmā’s supreme seat at Puṣkara (Nyagrodha), functioning as a cosmographic/holy-geography marker rather than a Jyotirliṅga origin episode.

Significance: Merit from tīrtha-darśana and remembrance of the cosmic order (loka-vyavasthā) established by Īśvara; supports dharma through sacred geography.

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Cosmographic mapping of dvīpas/tīrthas (Purāṇic bhuvana-vinyāsa)

Characters & Entities

• Brahma

FAQs

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

It sanctifies Puṣkara as a divinely empowered tīrtha by naming Brahmā’s “uttama-sthāna,” teaching that holy places are supports for purification and steady devotion that ultimately turns the mind toward Pati (Śiva) as the highest refuge.

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

By mapping sacred space, the Purana frames pilgrimage and temple-worship as aids to Saguna upāsanā—devotion with form—through which the seeker’s impurities (pāśa) are loosened, making the heart fit for deeper contemplation of Śiva beyond limitation.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Undertake tīrtha-yātrā with japa of the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and perform simple worship (arghya, pradakṣiṇā, dhyāna) at the named sacred seat, using the place as a focus for inner recollection of Śiva.