Shloka 61

Account of Various Sacred Tīrthas

Pilgrimage Merits and Prayāga Supremacy

Devanagari script

समुद्रा यत्र चत्वारो निवसंति युधिष्ठिर । ततोपस्पृश्य राजेंद्र कृत्वा चापि प्रदक्षिणम्

Transliteration

samudrā yatra catvāro nivasaṃti yudhiṣṭhira | tatopaspṛśya rājeṃdra kṛtvā cāpi pradakṣiṇam

Translation

Ô Yudhiṣṭhira, là où résident les quatre océans, là, ô le meilleur des rois, après avoir accompli le contact purificateur avec l’eau et aussi la pradakṣiṇā…

Word by Word

• समुद्राः: oceans
• समुद्राः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/स्थान-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (relative locative adverb) ‘where’

• चत्वारः: four
• चत्वारः: विशेषण (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषणम् (agreeing with समुद्राः)

• निवसन्ति: dwell, reside
• निवसन्ति: क्रिया (Verb/आख्यात)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: क्रम/अपादान-सूचक (sequence/source marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/क्रमवाचक (ablatival adverb) ‘then/from there’

• उपस्पृश्य: having performed ācamana / having sipped (water)
• उपस्पृश्य: पूर्वक्रिया (क्रियाविशेषण/अव्ययभाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उप-√स्पृश् (धातु) → उपस्पृश्य (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); ‘having touched/after sipping (water)’ (ritual sense: ācamana)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: सम्बोधन (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: राजन् + इन्द्र (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः’)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: पूर्वक्रिया (क्रियाविशेषण/अव्ययभाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √कृ (धातु) → कृत्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive) ‘having done’

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction) ‘and’

• अपि: also
• अपि: निपात (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थ (particle) ‘also/even’

• प्रदक्षिणम्: circumambulation
• प्रदक्षिणम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेष्य-रूपेण ‘pradakṣiṇā’ (circumambulation)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator addressing Yudhiṣṭhira (dialogue context not provided in the input)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: ततोपस्पृश्य = ततः + उपस्पृश्य; चापि = च + अपि; राजेंद्र = राजेन्द्र (ए + इ → ए).

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the geography of sacred Tirthas?

It uses a cosmographic marker—“where the four oceans abide”—to locate an exceptionally sacred region, implying that certain tīrthas are described in relation to the Purāṇic world-map rather than only to local terrestrial geography.

How does this verse emphasize the path of Bhakti?

By prescribing reverential acts—purificatory water-rite (upaspṛśya/ācamana) and pradakṣiṇā—it frames devotion as embodied practice: approaching the sacred with purity and respectful circumambulation.

What is the ethical lesson from this dialogue?

The verse models disciplined reverence: before engaging a sacred place, one should purify oneself and perform respectful conduct, emphasizing humility, restraint, and ritual attentiveness.