Shloka 1

Narmadā Māhātmya with the Praise of Amarakantaka Tīrthas

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । वसिष्ठेन दिलीपाय कथितं तीर्थमुत्तमम् । नर्मदेति च विख्यातं पापपर्वतदारणम्

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | vasiṣṭhena dilīpāya kathitaṃ tīrthamuttamam | narmadeti ca vikhyātaṃ pāpaparvatadāraṇam

Translation

ຢຸທິສຖິຣະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ຕີຣຖະອັນສູງສຸດທີ່ວະສິດຖະໄດ້ເລົ່າແກ່ດິລີປະ ອັນໂດງດັງວ່າ “ນະຣະມະດາ” ນັ້ນ ເປັນຜູ້ຜ່າທຳລາຍພູເຂົາແຫ່ງບາບອັນສະສົມ

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘said’

• वसिष्ठेन: by Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठेन: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दिलीपाय: to Dilīpa
• दिलीपाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिलीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• कथितम्: told/declared
• कथितम्: Karma-bhava (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘told/declared’ (agreeing with तीर्थम्)

• तीर्थम्: the sacred ford
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that tīrtha’ (object/theme of कथितम्)

• उत्तमम्: excellent
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of तीर्थम्)

• नर्मदा: Narmadā
• नर्मदा: Karta (Name/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर्मदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; इति-उद्धरणे नाम

• इति: thus (called)
• इति: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-चिह्न (quotative)

• च: and
• च: Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• विख्यातम्: well-known
• विख्यातम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-√ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of तीर्थम्)

• पापपर्वतदारणम्: destroyer of mountains of sin
• पापपर्वतदारणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + दारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पापपर्वतानां दारणम् = destroyer of mountains of sin)

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: river

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: तीर्थम्+उत्तमम् → तीर्थमुत्तमम्; नर्मदा+इति → नर्मदेति

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Vasiṣṭha
• Dilīpa
• Narmadā

FAQs

What is the main teaching of this verse?

It praises the Narmadā as an exceptional tīrtha whose sanctity is powerful enough to destroy even vast accumulations of sin, described metaphorically as a “mountain of sins.”

Who are the figures connected to the Narmadā in this verse?

Yudhiṣṭhira refers to an earlier account where the sage Vasiṣṭha instructed King Dilīpa about the supreme tīrtha known as Narmadā.

How does this verse support tīrtha-focused devotional practice in the Padma Purāṇa?

By presenting Narmadā as ‘uttama tīrtha’ and emphasizing pāpa-kṣaya (removal of sin), it frames pilgrimage and sacred geography as spiritually transformative practices within the Purāṇic worldview.