Shloka 10

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

Devanagari script

त्रैलोक्यनाथं वरदं गोप्रतारे कुशेशयम् अर्द्धनारीश्वरं पुण्ये माहेन्द्रे दभिणे गिरौ

Transliteration

trailokyanāthaṃ varadaṃ gopratāre kuśeśayam arddhanārīśvaraṃ puṇye māhendre dabhiṇe girau

Translation

At Go-pratāra [know Him as] the Lord of the three worlds, the boon-giver; [and] Kuśeśaya. And on the sacred southern mountain of Māhendra, [know] Ardhanārīśvara.

Speakers

• Instructional catalogue voice continuing the mapping of divine forms to pilgrimage sites.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Shiva
• Shakti (as the feminine half in Ardhanārīśvara)

Key Themes

• Tīrtha localization of divine epithets
• Boons and salvific power of place
• Shaiva–Shakta theology embedded in geography
• Co-presence of Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva sites within one itinerary

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What kind of place is ‘Go-pratāra’?

The term suggests a ‘crossing/ford’ (pratāra) connected with cattle (go), implying a riverine tīrtha where passage, bathing, or ritual crossing is central. In tīrtha-catalogues, such fords are key nodes for pilgrimage movement and vow-performance.

Why are both Viṣṇu-forms and Ardhanārīśvara mentioned in the same verse?

Adhyāya 63 operates as a geographic register rather than a sectarian hymn. It deliberately places Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva(-Śākta) manifestations side by side, presenting the subcontinent’s sacred landscape as an integrated network of divine presences.

What does ‘Kuśeśaya’ imply about worship at the site?

‘Kuśeśaya’ evokes lotus/water-lily imagery and an aquatic setting, hinting that the associated tīrtha may involve a pond, lake, or river-lotus environment where water-rituals (snāna, tarpaṇa) and lotus-offerings are especially appropriate.