Shloka 29

Tīrtha-yātrā-varṇana

Description of Pilgrimage to the Sacred Fords

Devanagari script

स्नानं कृत्वा ह्रदे तस्मिन्व्यासेशस्य च दर्शनात् । यत्र तत्र मृतो देवि वाराणस्यां मृतो भवेत् ॥ २९ ॥

Transliteration

snānaṃ kṛtvā hrade tasminvyāseśasya ca darśanāt | yatra tatra mṛto devi vārāṇasyāṃ mṛto bhavet || 29 ||

Translation

ദേവീ! ആ ഹ്രദത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് വ്യാസേശ്വരന്റെ ദർശനം ലഭിച്ചാൽ, എവിടെയെങ്കിലും മരിച്ചാലും അവൻ വാരാണസിയിൽ മരിച്ചതുപോലെ കണക്കാക്കപ്പെടുന്നു।

Word by Word

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेष्य (object of kṛtvā)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव; ‘having done’

• ह्रदे: in the lake
• ह्रदे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंस, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• व्यास-ईशस्य: of Vyāseśa
• व्यास-ईशस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• दर्शनात्: from (the) sight/vision
• दर्शनात्: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन; कारण/हेतु-अर्थ (cause)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्ध-देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (correlative adverb: there)

• मृतः: dead
• मृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) from मृ (धातु); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī
• वाराणस्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाराणसी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन; स्थाननाम

• मृतः: dead
• मृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• भवेत्: would become / would be
• भवेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Narada (addressing Devi in the Kashi-Mahatmya narrative)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Devi
• Vyasesa (Vyaseshvara)
• Varanasi (Kashi)

FAQs

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

It teaches that specific tīrtha-actions—snāna in the sacred lake and darśana of Vyāseśa—confer Kāśī-equivalent merit, so powerful that even death elsewhere is counted as death in Vārāṇasī.

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

Bhakti is implied through darśana: approaching the deity (Vyāseśa) with reverence. The verse frames liberation-oriented merit as arising from devoted encounter with the sacred presence, not merely geography.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Kalpa (ritual procedure) is implicit: the prescribed acts are snāna (purificatory bath) and darśana (temple worship/seeing the deity), illustrating how tīrtha-vidhi is used in Narada Purana pilgrimage practice.