Shloka 11

Sacred Abodes of Vishnu & Shiva — Catalogue of Vishnu and Shiva’s Sacred Abodes (Tirtha-Mahatmya within the Pulastya–Narada Frame)

Devanagari script

गोपालमुत्तरे नित्यं महेन्द्रे सोमपीथिनम् वैकुण्ठमपि सह्याद्रौ पारियात्रऽपराजितम्

Transliteration

gopālamuttare nityaṃ mahendre somapīthinam vaikuṇṭhamapi sahyādrau pāriyātra'parājitam

Translation

(One should know/see) Gopāla ever in the northern region; Soma-pīthin (the Lord associated with Soma’s seat) on Mahendra; Vaikuṇṭha also on the Sahya mountain; and Aparājita on the Pāriyātra range.

Speakers

• Contextual narrator within the Adhyāya’s catalogue (speaker not specified in the provided excerpt) addressing the listener of the Purāṇic discourse.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Soma

Key Themes

• Sacred geography as theology (deity-forms mapped onto landscapes)
• Tīrtha-yātrā orientation by mountains and quarters
• Multiplicity of Viṣṇu’s shrine-forms

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Why does the verse list deity-names alongside mountains rather than giving a narrative?

This portion functions as a gazetteer: the Purāṇa sacralizes the subcontinent by anchoring specific divine forms (nāma-rūpa) to identifiable ranges and regions, guiding pilgrimage and ritual geography rather than telling a single myth.

Is ‘Vaikuṇṭha on Sahya’ meant literally, since Vaikuṇṭha is also a transcendent realm?

Purāṇic usage allows ‘Vaikuṇṭha’ to denote both the supreme abode and a terrestrial manifestation/shrine bearing that name; the verse signals a localized ‘Vaikuṇṭha’ presence on Sahyādri for devotees and pilgrims.

What is the significance of Pāriyātra and Mahendra in Purāṇic mapping?

Both appear in classical Purāṇic mountain lists as major markers for orienting sacred space. By associating them with specific deity-forms (Soma-pīthin on Mahendra; Aparājita on Pāriyātra), the text turns topography into a devotional itinerary.