Shloka 1

Veṅkaṭācala Māhātmya: Bhakti-Lakṣaṇa, Nārasiṁha-tīrtha, and the Secret Darśana-Vidhi of Śrīnivāsa

Devanagari script

नाम त्रयोविंशोध्यायः जैगीषव्य उवाच / कन्ये शृणु त्वं वेङ्कटाख्याचलस्य स्मेराननां पुण्यमांरोहणे ऽस्य / श्रीगीतायाः पठनं चैव कुर्वन्नारोहणं कुरुते सर्वलोकः

Transliteration

nāma trayoviṃśodhyāyaḥ jaigīṣavya uvāca / kanye śṛṇu tvaṃ veṅkaṭākhyācalasya smerānanāṃ puṇyamāṃrohaṇe 'sya / śrīgītāyāḥ paṭhanaṃ caiva kurvannārohaṇaṃ kurute sarvalokaḥ

Translation

Jaigīṣavya berkata: “Wahai gadis, dengarkan. Saat melakukan pendakian suci ke gunung bernama Veṅkaṭa, tempat Tuhan berwajah tersenyum dipuja, bila disertai pembacaan Śrī Gītā, maka pendakian itu menjadi penuh pahala bagi semua insan.”

Word by Word

• nāma: (entitled)
• nāma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/heading marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; particle/marker (निपात) used as heading ‘name/entitled’

• trayoviṃśaḥ: twenty-third
• trayoviṃśaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: trayoviṃśa (प्रातिपदिक; त्रयः+विंशतिः)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; numeral adjective qualifying ‘adhyāyaḥ’

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• jaigīṣavyaḥ: Jaigīṣavya
• jaigīṣavyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaigīṣavya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; proper name (ṛṣi)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• kanye: O girl
• kanye: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular

• śṛṇu: listen
• śṛṇu: Kriyā (क्रिया/command)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Pronoun; Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; (gender not fixed)

• veṅkaṭa-ākhya-acalasya: of the mountain named Veṅkaṭa
• veṅkaṭa-ākhya-acalasya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veṅkaṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhya (प्रातिपदिक) + acala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; ‘of the mountain called Veṅkaṭa’

• smera-ānanām: (O) smiling-faced (one)
• smera-ānanām: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: smera (प्रातिपदिक) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; used as epithet addressing the girl (smiling-faced)

• puṇyam: meritorious
• puṇyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifying ‘ārohaṇam’

• ārohaṇe: in the ascent/climbing
• ārohaṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārohaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; ‘in/at the ascent’

• asya: of this (mountain)
• asya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; refers to the mountain

• śrī-gītāyāḥ: of the Śrī Gītā
• śrī-gītāyāḥ: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + gītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; ‘of the revered Gītā’

• paṭhanam: recitation/reading
• paṭhanam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṭhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निपात)

• kurvan: doing/performing
• kurvan: Karta (कर्ता/agent, participial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; agreeing with ‘sarvalokaḥ’

• ārohaṇam: ascent/climbing
• ārohaṇam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārohaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• kurute: does/performs
• kurute: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular; Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• sarva-lokaḥ: all people/everyone
• sarva-lokaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; collective sense ‘everyone’

Speaker

Jaigīṣavya (sage)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Pilgrimage-ascent (ārohaṇa) to Veṅkaṭa, performed while reciting the Bhagavad-Gītā, yields merit beneficial to all people; devotion is integrated with scriptural remembrance.

Vedantic Theme: Synthesis of bhakti and jñāna: Gītā recitation aligns action with right vision; loka-saṅgraha (universal welfare) undertone.

Application: On pilgrimage or any disciplined undertaking, add daily Gītā recitation/reflective reading; dedicate the fruit for collective well-being.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: sacred mountain / pilgrimage hill

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana Veṅkaṭa-māhātmya sequence (this chapter context); Garuda Purana praise of Gītā/Viṣṇu-smaraṇa as purifier (general)

Characters & Entities

• Jaigīṣavya
• Veṅkaṭācala (Tirumala)
• Śrī Gītā

FAQs

What is the importance of ascending Veṅkaṭācala according to this verse?

The verse presents the climb (ārohaṇa) of Veṅkaṭa mountain as a merit-producing pilgrimage act, especially sanctified by devotion to the smiling-faced Lord worshipped there.

Why is Śrī Gītā recitation mentioned together with the pilgrimage?

It indicates that combining physical pilgrimage with scriptural recitation deepens the spiritual fruit (puṇya), turning the ascent into a consciously devotional, dharma-aligned practice.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When doing a yatra or temple visit, pair it with daily Gītā reading/chanting and mindful remembrance of the deity—making the journey both outwardly and inwardly transformative.