Shloka 1

Narmadā Pilgrimage Itinerary: Sequence of Tīrthas, Rites, and Fruits

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच । ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र विहगेश्वरमुत्तमम् । दर्शनात्तस्यराजेंद्र मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | tato gaccheta rājeṃdra vihageśvaramuttamam | darśanāttasyarājeṃdra mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ

Translation

Nārada dijo: «Entonces, oh mejor de los reyes, ve al supremo Señor de las Aves. Con solo contemplarlo, oh mejor de los reyes, uno queda liberado de todos los pecados».

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: then/from there
• ततः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• गच्छेत्: should go
• गच्छेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक: राजन्+इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• विहगेश्वरम्: the lord of birds (Garuda)
• विहगेश्वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विहगेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक: विहग+ईश्वर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• उत्तमम्: excellent/supreme
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) of विहगेश्वरम्

• दर्शनात्: from (the act of) seeing
• दर्शनात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक: राजन्+इन्द्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• सर्वपातकैः: from all sins
• सर्वपातकैः: Apadana/Hetu (अपादान/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वपातक (प्रातिपदिक: सर्व+पातक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

Speaker

Nārada

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: temple

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: राजेंद्र = राजेन्द्र; विहगेश्वरमुत्तमम् = विहगेश्वरम् + उत्तमम्; दर्शनात्तस्यराजेंद्र = दर्शनात् + तस्य + राजेन्द्र; सर्वपातकैः treated as सर्वपातक + तृतीया बहुवचन (instrumental/ablatival sense with passive मुच्यते).

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Garuda (Vihageśvara)

FAQs

Who is the “Lord of Birds” (Vihageśvara) mentioned in this verse?

“Vihageśvara” literally means “lord of birds” and is commonly understood as Garuḍa, the divine bird and vehicle of Lord Viṣṇu, revered in Vaiṣṇava tradition.

What spiritual practice is emphasized by this shloka?

The verse emphasizes darśana—sacred seeing/encounter—as a powerful purifying act, stating that merely beholding Vihageśvara leads to release from all sins.

What ethical or devotional lesson does this dialogue convey?

It teaches faith in holy association and reverent approach to sacred beings/places: sincere pilgrimage and devotion (even expressed through darśana) are presented as transformative and morally purifying.