Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 8
Chapter 109 — Tīrtha-mahātmya
The Glory of Sacred Pilgrimage Places
पुष्करे दुष्करं गन्तुं पुष्करे दुष्करं तपः दुष्करं पुष्करे दानं वस्तुं चैव सुदुष्करं
puṣkare duṣkaraṃ gantuṃ puṣkare duṣkaraṃ tapaḥ duṣkaraṃ puṣkare dānaṃ vastuṃ caiva suduṣkaraṃ
Aller à Puṣkara est difficile; l’austérité (tapas) à Puṣkara est difficile. La charité à Puṣkara est difficile, et y demeurer est, en vérité, extrêmement difficile.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Vrata","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Sets expectations for Pushkara-yātrā: travel, tapas, dāna, and residence are arduous; encourages resolve and planning for pilgrimage discipline.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Pushkara-yātrā: difficulty of gamana, tapas, dāna, and vāsa","lookup_keywords":["pushkara","tapas","dana","yatra","dushkara"],"quick_summary":"Pushkara is portrayed as a demanding tīrtha: reaching it, practicing austerity, giving charity, and even staying there are all ‘difficult,’ implying heightened merit and the need for steadfastness."}
Alamkara Type: Anuprasa
Concept: Spiritual fruit is proportionate to effort and restraint; difficulty itself becomes a marker of tapas.
Application: Approach Pushkara with niyama: prepare resources for dāna, plan travel, maintain vrata-like discipline, and accept hardship as tapas.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Merit)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: Tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Pilgrims journeying through arid terrain toward Pushkara, performing austerities and preparing gifts; the scene emphasizes hardship—sun, dust, long road—yet a radiant tīrtha lake/ghat awaits.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: stylized procession of pilgrims with water pots and staffs, austere faces, distant sacred lake shimmering; bold outlines, warm earth tones, divine aura over the tīrtha.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: dramatic contrast—arduous journey in lower panel, gleaming Pushkara tīrtha with gold-highlighted sanctity above; ornate borders and embossed gold.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: narrative clarity showing four ‘difficulties’ in vignettes—travel, tapas, dāna, residence—soft colors, fine detailing, instructional layout.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: caravan-like pilgrimage across semi-desert landscape with detailed flora/fauna, then arrival at a bustling sacred ghat; delicate shading and perspective."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"epic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"contemplative"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चैव = च + एव; सुदुष्करं = सु + दुष्करम्
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Pushkara/tirtha listings and mahātmyas (general); Agni Purana: Dāna-dharma passages linking effort and phala (general)
FAQs
It conveys tīrtha-māhātmya praxis: the four acts associated with a sacred site—going (yātrā), performing austerity (tapas), giving charity (dāna), and residing (vāsa)—are presented as difficult at Pushkara, implying they require discipline, purity, and sustained observance.
Alongside topics like ritual, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purana also catalogs sacred places and their observances; this verse exemplifies its pilgrimage-and-merit (tīrtha and puṇya) component, documenting how to engage a renowned tīrtha through yātrā, tapas, dāna, and residence.
By stressing difficulty, the verse elevates the karmic weight of these acts at Pushkara: effortful pilgrimage, disciplined austerity, sincere charity, and committed residence are portrayed as high-merit practices that purify and accumulate puṇya precisely because they are hard to accomplish.