Shloka 27

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

Devanagari script

कालिञ्जरे नीलकण्ठं सरय्वां शंभुमुत्तमम् हंसयुक्तं महाकोश्यां सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्

Transliteration

kāliñjare nīlakaṇṭhaṃ sarayvāṃ śaṃbhumuttamam haṃsayuktaṃ mahākośyāṃ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam

Translation

કાલિઞ્જરમાં તેઓ ‘નીલકણ્ઠ’ છે; સરયૂ પર ‘શંભુ’—પરમ ઉત્તમ—છે; અને મહાકોશીમાં ‘હંસયુક્ત’ રૂપે, જે સર્વ પાપોનો નાશ કરે છે।

Speakers

• Unspecified in the provided excerpt (continuation of Adhyaya 63’s place-by-place deity listing).

Primary Deities

• Shiva

Key Themes

• Sin-removal through tirtha contact (pāpa-kṣaya)
• Regional iconography of Śiva
• Riverine pilgrimage networks
• Purāṇic toponymy and kshetra-identification

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

Is ‘Mahākośī’ a river or a region?

In Purāṇic usage it can function as either: a river-name (Kośī/Kosi) and, by extension, the surrounding tirtha-region. The locative ‘-yāṃ’ supports a geographic locus—river basin or pilgrimage tract.

What does ‘Haṃsa-yukta’ imply for a Śiva form?

It can indicate a local iconographic tradition (Śiva attended by a haṃsa emblem) or a symbolic yogic reading where haṃsa signifies the liberated ‘paramahaṃsa’ state. In a tirtha-catalogue, it most directly marks a recognizable local epithet for pilgrims.

Why is Nīlakaṇṭha emphasized at Kāliñjara?

Kāliñjara is a prominent hill-site; associating it with Nīlakaṇṭha highlights Śiva’s ascetic, mountain-linked presence and the protective power implied by the ‘blue-throat’ mythos (bearing poison for cosmic welfare).