Shloka 17
Puruṣottama-māhātmya
The Greatness of Puruṣottama Kṣetra
उच्चैः श्रवा यथाश्वानां कवीनामुशना यथा । मुनीनां च यथा व्यासः कुबेरो यक्षरक्षसाम् ॥ १७ ॥
uccaiḥ śravā yathāśvānāṃ kavīnāmuśanā yathā | munīnāṃ ca yathā vyāsaḥ kubero yakṣarakṣasām || 17 ||
Sebagaimana Uccaiḥśravā paling utama di antara kuda, Uśanā (Śukrācārya) di antara para penyair, Vyāsa di antara para resi, dan Kubera di antara Yakṣa serta Rākṣasa; demikian pula yang dipuji di sini dipahami sebagai yang paling unggul dalam ranahnya sendiri.
Suta (narrating the Purana’s account; verse framed as a laudatory comparison within the Mahatmya flow)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It uses well-known “foremost among their kind” exemplars to convey spiritual superlative—teaching that true greatness is recognized by dharmic excellence and that the praised object (often a tirtha, deity, or vow in Mahatmya sections) is to be regarded as supreme in its sphere.
Bhakti literature often strengthens śraddhā through stuti: by comparing the worship-worthy focus to universally acknowledged paragons (Vyāsa, Kubera, etc.), the text encourages single-pointed reverence and confident devotion toward the praised sacred focus.
The verse reflects the vedic-puranic method of arthavāda (eulogistic reinforcement) and itihāsa-purāṇa style pedagogy—using authoritative cultural references to make a doctrinal point memorable, though it does not teach a specific Vedāṅga technique (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) directly.