Shloka 45

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

Devanagari script

एतानि पुण्यानि ममालयानि ब्रह्मन् पुराणानि सनातनानि धर्मप्रदानीह महौजसानि संकीर्तनीयन्यघनाशनानि

Transliteration

etāni puṇyāni mamālayāni brahman purāṇāni sanātanāni dharmapradānīha mahaujasāni saṃkīrtanīyanyaghanāśanāni

Translation

“These are my holy abodes, O brāhmaṇa—ancient and eternal. They bestow dharma here; they are of great splendor. They are to be celebrated (by recitation), and they destroy sin.”

Speakers

• Deity (implied Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa) to a brāhmaṇa/ṛṣi.

Primary Deities

• Vishnu (Narayana)

Key Themes

• Tirtha Mahima
• Power of saṅkīrtana (reciting sacred names/places)
• Sin-destruction through pilgrimage and remembrance
• Eternality of sacred geography

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

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

FAQs

What is meant by calling sacred sites ‘purāṇa’ and ‘sanātana’?

The verse treats tīrthas as part of the cosmic order, not merely historical shrines. ‘Purāṇa’ and ‘sanātana’ sacralize geography by placing it within timeless dharma rather than local chronology.

How does ‘saṃkīrtana’ function in a tīrtha context?

Here it means proclaiming/reciting the names and glories of the sites. The Purāṇic idea is that verbal remembrance (nāma-kīrtana, tīrtha-kīrtana) itself generates merit and removes sin, even prior to physical travel.

Is ‘dharma-pradāni’ about moral instruction or ritual merit?

Both: tīrthas are said to ‘give dharma’ by enabling righteous acts (snāna, dāna, vrata, worship) and by reorienting the pilgrim toward dharmic life; the immediate Purāṇic emphasis is typically on merit and purification.