Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 2
Narmadā-ādi-māhātmya
The Greatness of the Narmadā and Other Tīrthas
विस्तराद्योजनशतं योजनद्वयमायता षष्टिस्तीर्थसहस्राणि षष्टिकोट्यस् तथापराः
vistarādyojanaśataṃ yojanadvayamāyatā ṣaṣṭistīrthasahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭikoṭyas tathāparāḥ
Sa largeur est de cent yojanas et sa longueur de deux yojanas ; il y a soixante mille tīrtha (gués sacrés) et, de plus, soixante koṭi encore.
Lord Agni (narrating to Sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Cosmology","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Provides a puranic-style quantitative description of a sacred river’s dimensions and the abundance of tirthas; used for mapping sacred imagination, pilgrimage enumeration, and recitation of mahātmya lists.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Narmadā-parimāṇa and Tīrtha-saṅkhyā","lookup_keywords":["yojana","parimana","tirtha-sankhya","Narmada-mahatmya","shashti-sahasra"],"quick_summary":"States measurements in yojanas and enumerates tīrthas in vast numbers, emphasizing inexhaustible sacred access points. Practically, it legitimizes many local ghats as tirthas within the Narmadā sphere."}
Alamkara Type: Atishayokti
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Merit)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: River
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A cartographic sacred map motif: the Narmadā shown as a broad ribbon with countless marked tīrthas (small shrines/ghats) along its course; numbers and yojana measures indicated as inscriptions.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, stylized river as a serpentine band across the panel, repeated ghat motifs and tiny shrines indicating innumerable tīrthas, decorative numerals/inscriptions, adbhuta tone, traditional color blocks.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-highlighted river waves and repeated temple icons along the banks, ornate border with numeric motifs (60,000; 60 crores) rendered as decorative script, auspicious grandeur.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, schematic yet elegant ‘sacred geography chart’: river with evenly spaced tīrtha markers, yojana measures annotated, clear instructional layout, soft palette and fine detailing.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature map-like landscape with a winding river, many small pavilions/temples along banks, tiny pilgrims at ghats, calligraphic labels for measures and counts, meticulous detail."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":null,"pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विस्तराद्योजनशतं → विस्तरात् + योजनशतम्; योजनद्वयमायता → योजनद्वयम् + आयता; षष्टिकोट्यस् → षष्टिकोट्यः (visarga sandhi before consonant).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 113 (subsequent verses listing specific tirthas around Amarakantaka and beyond)
FAQs
It provides a technical sacred-geography description: the measured extent (in yojanas) and the enumerated count of tīrthas, used to frame a tīrtha-māhātmya/pilgrimage context.
By recording quantitative details—traditional distance units (yojana) and large-scale enumeration of sacred sites—it preserves a catalog-style, reference-like layer of Purāṇic knowledge alongside ritual and devotional instruction.
By emphasizing the vastness and multitude of tīrthas, the verse elevates the field of pilgrimage as a major source of puṇya (religious merit) and purification, encouraging tīrtha-yātrā as a meritorious practice.