Shloka 4

Prahlada's Tirtha Circuit — Prahlada’s Pilgrimage Circuit: Tirtha-Mahatmya from Naimisha to Rudrakoti and Shalagrama

Devanagari script

देवदेवं तथेशानं संपूज्य विधिना ततः गयायां गोपतिं द्रष्टुं जगाम स महासुरः

Transliteration

devadevaṃ tatheśānaṃ saṃpūjya vidhinā tataḥ gayāyāṃ gopatiṃ draṣṭuṃ jagāma sa mahāsuraḥ

Translation

tatra brahmadhvaje snātvā kṛtvā cāsya pradakṣiṇām | piṇḍanirvapaṇaṃ puṇyaṃ pidṛṇāṃ sa cakāra ha ||

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic voice) describing the actions of a mahāsura (identity implied by surrounding narrative)

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Īśāna/Devadeva)
• Vishnu (Gopati)

Key Themes

• Tirtha Yatra (pilgrimage)
• Darśana of deity
• Ritual propriety (vidhi)
• Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava continuity in pilgrimage practice

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why does the verse place worship of Īśāna (Śiva) before going to see Gopati at Gayā?

The sequencing reflects a common Purāṇic pilgrimage logic: one approaches a major tīrtha through proper preliminary worship and purification, and the text also signals Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava concord—devotion to Śiva does not obstruct, but rather frames, Vaiṣṇava darśana at a shared sacred landscape.

Who is “Gopati” in the context of Gayā?

“Gopati” literally means “lord of cows,” a title widely used for Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa. In tīrtha-māhātmya contexts it can denote a local iconic form or shrine-name at Gayā where devotees seek darśana as part of the pilgrimage circuit.

What is the geographical significance of Gayā in Purāṇic tradition?

Gayā is one of the most authoritative sites for pitṛ-kārya (ancestral rites), especially piṇḍa-offerings and tarpaṇa. Its sanctity is repeatedly affirmed across Purāṇas as a place where offerings are believed to yield enduring benefit to ancestors.