Shloka 26

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

Devanagari script

नर्मदाया जलं सिक्त्वा अर्चयित्वा वृषध्वजम् । दुर्गतिं च न पंश्यंति तस्य तीर्थप्रभावतः

Transliteration

narmadāyā jalaṃ siktvā arcayitvā vṛṣadhvajam | durgatiṃ ca na paṃśyaṃti tasya tīrthaprabhāvataḥ

Translation

Habiendo rociado (el liṅga) con el agua del Narmadā y adorado a Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva, el del estandarte del toro), no contemplan un destino funesto: tal es el poder de ese sagrado tīrtha.

Word by Word

• नर्मदायाः: of Narmadā
• नर्मदायाः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• सिक्त्वा: having sprinkled
• सिक्त्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सिच् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाले (prior action) — “having sprinkled/poured”

• अर्चयित्वा: having worshipped
• अर्चयित्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अर्च् (धातु) + इत्वा/क्त्वा (अव्यय-कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाले (prior action) — “having worshipped”

• वृषध्वजम्: Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva, ‘bull-bannered’)
• वृषध्वजम्: कर्म (Karma/Object) (of अर्चयित्वा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक), “वृषध्वज”
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Genitive Tatpuruṣa): वृषस्य ध्वजः = whose banner is the bull

• दुर्गतिम्: bad fate, misfortune
• दुर्गतिम्: कर्म (Karma/Object) (of पश्यन्ति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (Conjunction/Coordinator)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (Negation particle)

• पश्यन्ति: they see/meet
• पश्यन्ति: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb); कर्ता (Karta/Subject) implied “they/people”
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present/Indicative), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तस्य: of that (tīrtha)
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), पुं/नपुंसक (Masc/Neut), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• तीर्थप्रभावतः: due to the power of the sacred ford
• तीर्थप्रभावतः: हेतु (Hetu/Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तीर्थ + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तसिल्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तसिलन्त-अव्यय (Ablatival adverb “because of/from”), षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: तीर्थस्य प्रभावः = power of the tīrtha; “due to the tīrtha’s power”

Speaker

Unspecified (narratorial voice within the Adhyaya)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: river

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: नर्मदाया → नर्मदायाः; पंश्यंति (पंश्यन्ति) normalized to पश्यन्ति; तीर्थप्रभावतः = तीर्थ-प्रभाव-तस् (tasil).

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Vṛṣadhvaja (Śiva)

FAQs

What practice does this verse prescribe at the Narmadā tīrtha?

It describes sprinkling/anointing with Narmadā water and worshipping Śiva (Vṛṣadhvaja), presenting it as a tīrtha-based act of devotion.

What is the stated fruit (phala) of this worship?

The verse says one does not attain or “see” durgati—an evil fate or misfortune—because of the tīrtha’s spiritual potency.

What theological emphasis appears in this shloka?

It foregrounds tīrtha-māhātmya (the glory of sacred places) and a Śaiva devotional act, linking ritual worship with protection from negative karmic outcomes.