Shloka 48

Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Mahālaya, Kedāra, Rivers and Fords, and Devadāru Forest

Akṣaya-Karma Doctrine

Devanagari script

अक्षयं तत्र दानं स्यात् जप्यं वापि तथाविधम् / महादेवप्रियं तीर्थं पावनं तद् विशेषतः / तारयेच्च पितॄन् सर्वान् दत्त्वा श्राद्धं समाहितः

Transliteration

akṣayaṃ tatra dānaṃ syāt japyaṃ vāpi tathāvidham / mahādevapriyaṃ tīrthaṃ pāvanaṃ tad viśeṣataḥ / tārayecca pitṝn sarvān dattvā śrāddhaṃ samāhitaḥ

Translation

അവിടെ ചെയ്യുന്ന ദാനം അക്ഷയ പുണ്യം നൽകും; അവിടെ ചെയ്യുന്ന ജപവും ക്ഷയമില്ലാത്ത ഫലം നൽകും. ആ തീർത്ഥം മഹാദേവന് പ്രിയവും പ്രത്യേകമായി പാവനവുമാണ്. ഏകാഗ്രചിത്തത്തോടെ അവിടെ ശ്രാദ്ധം ചെയ്താൽ എല്ലാ പിതൃന്മാരും ഉദ്ധരിക്കപ്പെടും.

Word by Word

• akṣayam: imperishable
• akṣayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of place)

• dānam: gift; charity
• dānam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• syāt: should be
• syāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person singular optative)

• japyam: to be recited (as japa)
• japyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: japya (प्रातिपदिक; √jap धातु-आधारित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विकल्पार्थक निपात (indeclinable disjunctive particle)

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपि-कारक निपात (indeclinable particle: also/even)

• tathāvidham: of that kind; such
• tathāvidham: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tathā-vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः कर्मधारय (tathā + vidha); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• mahādeva-priyam: dear to Mahādeva
• mahādeva-priyam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahādeva + priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (mahādevasya priyam); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• tīrtham: sacred ford; pilgrimage place
• tīrtham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• pāvanam: purifying
• pāvanam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• tat: that (place)
• tat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter pronoun, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: especially)

• tārayet: should deliver/save
• tārayet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṝ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: cause to cross/save)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• pitṝn: ancestors
• pitṝn: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• sarvān: all
• sarvān: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• dattvā: having given
• dattvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), √दा (having given)

• śrāddham: śrāddha rite; ancestral offering
• śrāddham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• samāhitaḥ: composed; attentive
• samāhitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-ā-hita (प्रातिपदिक; √dhā धातु-आधारित)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) speaking to sages (narrative instruction on tīrtha-dharma)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Pitṛs (Ancestors)
• Tīrtha
• Śrāddha
• Dāna
• Japa

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it emphasizes that purity of mind (samāhita) and dharmic acts at a consecrated tīrtha yield enduring (akṣaya) spiritual merit, aligning the practitioner toward liberation-oriented results rather than temporary gains.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

Japa performed at a tīrtha is praised, and the key inner discipline is samādhāna/samāhitatva—doing Śrāddha and worship-related acts with a steady, collected mind, a practical devotional-yogic focus within Purāṇic sādhanā.

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

Though spoken in a Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa context (Kūrma/Viṣṇu), the tīrtha is called “dear to Mahādeva,” reflecting the Kurma Purana’s synthesis where Śiva-devotion and Vaiṣṇava revelation mutually affirm one another within shared dharma.