Shloka 1

Tīrtha-vidhi (Procedure for Holy Places) — Prayāgarāja-māhātmya

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ उवाच । एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु भूपाल मोहिनी विधिनंदिनी । पुरुषोत्तममाहात्म्यं भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायकम् ॥ १ ॥

Transliteration

vasiṣṭha uvāca | etacchrutvā tu bhūpāla mohinī vidhinaṃdinī | puruṣottamamāhātmyaṃ bhuktimuktipradāyakam || 1 ||

Translation

ವಸಿಷ್ಠರು ಹೇಳಿದರು: ಓ ರಾಜನೇ, ಇದನ್ನು ಕೇಳಿದ ಬಳಿಕ ವಿಧಾತನ ಪ್ರಿಯ ಪುತ್ರಿ ಮೋಹಿನೀ, ಭೋಗ-ಮೋಕ್ಷಗಳನ್ನು ನೀಡುವ ಪುರುಷೋತ್ತಮನ ಮಹಾತ್ಮ್ಯವನ್ನು (ಮತ್ತೂ) ಶ್ರವಣಮಾಡಿದಳು।

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), अर्थः: ‘having heard’

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction/particle), विरोध/अनन्तरार्थक

• भूपाल: O king
• भूपाल: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (singular)

• मोहिनी: Mohinī
• मोहिनी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (singular)

• विधि-नन्दिनी: daughter of Vidhi (Brahmā)
• विधि-नन्दिनी: Apposition (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (singular); समासः: ‘विधेः नन्दिनी’ (daughter of Brahmā/Vidhi)

• पुरुषोत्तम-माहात्म्यम्: the greatness of Puruṣottama
• पुरुषोत्तम-माहात्म्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक) + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (singular); समासः: ‘पुरुषोत्तमस्य माहात्म्यम्’ (the greatness of Puruṣottama)

• भुक्ति-मुक्ति-प्रदायकम्: bestowing enjoyment and liberation
• भुक्ति-मुक्ति-प्रदायकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (singular); समासः: ‘भुक्तिं मुक्तिं च प्रददाति’ (bestowing enjoyment and liberation)

Speaker

Vasiṣṭha

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Mohinī
• Brahmā (Vidhi)
• Puruṣottama (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It frames Puruṣottama’s māhātmya as a complete spiritual path—capable of giving both dhārmic well-being in life (bhukti) and final release (mukti), a hallmark promise of Viṣṇu-centered tīrtha and vrata narratives in the Uttara-bhāga.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

By presenting “Puruṣottama-māhātmya” as inherently “bhukti-mukti-pradāyaka,” it implies that hearing and revering the Lord’s greatness (śravaṇa and śraddhā) is itself a bhakti-practice that purifies desire and culminates in liberation.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught in this verse; it functions as a narrative transition into a māhātmya section where ritual observances (kalpa-oriented vratas) are typically praised for their results.