Shloka 29

Prayāga-māhātmya — The Greatness of Prayāga and the Discipline of Pilgrimage

Devanagari script

योजनानां सहस्त्रेषु गङ्गां यः स्मरते नरः / अपि दुष्कृतकर्मासौ लभते परमां गतिम्

Transliteration

yojanānāṃ sahastreṣu gaṅgāṃ yaḥ smarate naraḥ / api duṣkṛtakarmāsau labhate paramāṃ gatim

Translation

ആയിരം യോജന ദൂരെയായാലും ഗംഗയെ സ്മരിക്കുന്ന മനുഷ്യൻ, ദുഷ്കൃതകർമ്മഭാരമുള്ളവനായാലും പരമഗതി പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• yojanānām: of yojanas (leagues)
• yojanānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yojana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• sahastreṣu: among thousands
• sahastreṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; Locative plural

• gaṅgām: Ganga
• gaṅgām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Relative pronoun, nominative singular

• smarate: remembers
• smarate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ātmanepada

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), concessive/emphatic

• duṣkṛta-karma: evil-deed(ed) / having sinful acts
• duṣkṛta-karma: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣkṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + karma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय-प्रायः: ‘दुष्कृतं कर्म’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; used adjectivally

• asau: that person (he)
• asau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adas (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Demonstrative pronoun

• labhate: attains
• labhate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ātmanepada

• paramām: supreme
• paramām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular; agrees with ‘gatim’

• gatim: state/goal
• gatim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Accusative singular

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna (tīrtha-māhātmya context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

By promising the “supreme destination” through focused remembrance, it implies that liberation is accessed by inner orientation (smaraṇa) rather than mere physical proximity—pointing to an inward, consciousness-centered path aligned with realizing the highest reality.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse highlights smaraṇa—steady recollection/mental worship—as a practical discipline: holding the sacred reality (Gaṅgā as tīrtha-śakti) in mind with faith, which functions as inner purification akin to meditative fixation (dhāraṇā) within broader Purāṇic Yoga and vrata frameworks.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

While Gaṅgā is often associated with Śiva, the teaching is delivered by Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu), reflecting the Purāṇa’s synthetic stance: sacred power and liberation are shared across Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava frames, with tīrtha and devotion functioning as common means.