Shloka 46

Vyāsotpatti-kathana

Account of the Birth/Origin of Vyāsa

Devanagari script

अयोध्यां मथुरां चैव द्वारकाममरावतीम् । सरस्वतीं सिंधुसङ्गं गंगा सागरसंगमम्

Transliteration

ayodhyāṃ mathurāṃ caiva dvārakāmamarāvatīm | sarasvatīṃ siṃdhusaṅgaṃ gaṃgā sāgarasaṃgamam

Translation

Ayodhyā and Mathurā, and also Dvārakā and Amarāvatī; the Sarasvatī, the confluence of the Sindhu, and the place where the Gaṅgā meets the ocean—all these sacred places are to be revered.

Word by Word

• ayodhyām: Ayodhyā
• ayodhyām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ayodhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• mathurām: Mathurā
• mathurām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mathurā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय-निपात)

• eva: also/indeed
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (अवधारण-निपात)

• dvārakām: Dvārakā
• dvārakām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvārakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• amarāvatīm: Amarāvatī
• amarāvatīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amarāvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• sarasvatīm: Sarasvatī (river/place)
• sarasvatīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• sindhu-saṅgamam: the confluence of the Sindhu
• sindhu-saṅgamam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sindhu (प्रातिपदिक) + saṅgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (sindhoḥ saṅgamaḥ)

• gaṅgām: Gaṅgā
• gaṅgām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• sāgara-saṅgamam: the confluence with the ocean
• sāgara-saṅgamam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāgara (प्रातिपदिक) + saṅgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (sāgarasya saṅgamaḥ)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahādeva

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha

Sthala Purana: The verse lists pan-Indian sacred cities and saṅgamas; among them, Gaṅgā’s sanctity strongly evokes Kāśī’s Viśvanātha tradition where Gaṅgā and Śiva’s kṣetra converge in liberation-granting geography.

Significance: Saṅgama-darśana and snāna are held to cleanse pāpa and strengthen adhikāra for mokṣa; Kāśī is classically praised as granting taraka-upadeśa at death (later tradition).

FAQs

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

The verse lists renowned tīrthas (sacred cities, rivers, and confluences), teaching that sanctified geography supports inner purification—bhakti and remembrance of Śiva become steadier when the mind is placed in dharmic, holy settings.

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

Such tīrthas are traditionally associated with temple worship and vows; visiting them strengthens saguna-Śiva devotion through darśana, pūjā, and disciplined conduct, which in Śaiva understanding matures into deeper contemplation of Śiva as the supreme Pati.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is tīrtha-smaraṇa (remembering holy places) along with japa of the Pañcākṣarī “Om Namaḥ Śivāya,” and, where appropriate, river-bathing with sankalpa—performed with humility and ethical restraint rather than mere sightseeing.