Shloka 45

Narmadā Pilgrimage Itinerary: Sequence of Tīrthas, Rites, and Fruits

Devanagari script

नर्मदासंगमं यावद्यावच्चामरकंटकम् । तत्रांतरे महाराजन्तीर्थकोट्योदकस्थिताः

Transliteration

narmadāsaṃgamaṃ yāvadyāvaccāmarakaṃṭakam | tatrāṃtare mahārājantīrthakoṭyodakasthitāḥ

Translation

Dari pertemuan (saṅgama) Narmadā hingga Āmarakaṇṭaka—di seluruh bentangan itu, wahai raja agung, terdapat berjuta-juta tīrtha yang tegak di dalam perairan.

Word by Word

• narmadā-saṅgamam: the confluence of the Narmadā
• narmadā-saṅgamam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: narmadā + saṅgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (षष्ठी) ‘नर्मदायाः संगमः’

• yāvat: as far as / up to
• yāvat: Avadhi (अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-बोधक (limit/extent marker) ‘up to/as far as’

• yāvat: as far as
• yāvat: Avadhi (अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• amara-kaṇṭakam: Amarakanṭaka
• amara-kaṇṭakam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amara + kaṇṭaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः/नामधेय (proper name) ‘अमरकण्टक’ (place)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• antare: in between
• antare: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्; ‘मध्ये’ (in between)

• mahā-rājan: O great king
• mahā-rājan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन, पुल्लिङ्गः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारय-समासः ‘महान् राजा’

• tīrtha-koṭi-udaka-sthitāḥ: situated in the waters of crores of tīrthas
• tīrtha-koṭi-udaka-sthitāḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tīrtha + koṭi + udaka + sthita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समासः: ‘तीर्थ-कोटीनां उदके स्थिताः’/‘तीर्थकोट्युदके स्थिताः’; विशेषणम् (implied) ‘(तीर्थाणि)’ वा ‘(देवाः)’—contextual ellipsis

Speaker

Unspecified (addressing a king: 'mahārājan')

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: river

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: narmadāsaṃgamaṃ = narmadā-saṅgamam; yāvadyāvaccāmarakaṃṭakam = yāvat + yāvat + ca + amara-kaṇṭakam; tatrāṃtare = tatra + antare; mahārājan(tīrtha...) = mahā-rājan + tīrtha...; tīrthakoṭyodakasthitāḥ = tīrtha-koṭi-udaka-sthitāḥ

Characters & Entities

• Narmadā
• Āmarakaṇṭaka
• Tīrtha

FAQs

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

It frames the Narmadā corridor—from her confluence up to Āmarakaṇṭaka—as densely sacred, asserting that innumerable water-based tīrthas exist throughout that region.

How does this verse emphasize Bhakti or religious practice?

By highlighting the abundance of tīrthas, it supports a devotional pilgrimage ethos: approaching rivers and their waters as accessible loci for worship, merit, and remembrance of the divine.

What is the ethical or spiritual lesson implied?

The verse implies reverence for sacred waters and places, encouraging humility and disciplined conduct during pilgrimage—treating the landscape as spiritually charged rather than merely physical terrain.