Shloka 23

Praise of Pilgrimage (Tīrtha) and Prelude to the Greatness of Prayāga

Devanagari script

यत्र स्नात्वा नरो याति विष्णुलोकमनुत्तमम् । कथं पृच्छामि वै कृष्णं येनेदं कारितं महत्

Transliteration

yatra snātvā naro yāti viṣṇulokamanuttamam | kathaṃ pṛcchāmi vai kṛṣṇaṃ yenedaṃ kāritaṃ mahat

Translation

ഏത് തീർത്ഥത്തിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്താൽ മനുഷ്യൻ അനുത്തമമായ വിഷ്ണുലോകം പ്രാപിക്കുമോ; ഈ മഹത്തായ കർമ്മം നടത്തിച്ച ശ്രീകൃഷ്ണനോട് ഞാൻ എങ്ങനെ ചോദിക്കും?

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (स्थानवाचक-अव्यय/adverb of place)

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), स्ना-धातोः, पूर्वक्रिया (having bathed)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• याति: goes
• याति: क्रिया (Kriyā/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• विष्णुलोकम्: Vishnu’s world
• विष्णुलोकम्: कर्म (Karma/Object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: विष्णोः लोकः), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying विष्णुलोकम्)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (प्रश्नार्थक/Interrogative adverb)

• पृच्छामि: I ask
• पृच्छामि: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; emphasis)

• कृष्णम्: Krishna
• कृष्णम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• येन: by whom / whereby
• येन: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun: by whom/whereby)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (object of kāritaṃ)

• कारितम्: caused to be made
• कारितम्: क्रियाविशेषण/विशेषण (Predicate adjective to इदम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रत्ययान्त causative + क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; इदम् इति कर्मणि विशेषणम् (made/caused to be done)

• महत्: great
• महत्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying इदम्)

Speaker

Unspecified (context-dependent within Svarga-khaṇḍa Adhyaya 40; the verse is spoken by a narrator/interlocutor addressing/mentioning Kṛṣṇa).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: विष्णुलोकमनुत्तमम् = विष्णुलोकम् + अनुत्तमम्; येनेदं = येन + इदम्; कारितं महत् (no sandhi change, predicate qualifiers of इदम्).

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Kṛṣṇa

FAQs

What does this verse say is the fruit of bathing at the mentioned tīrtha?

It states that by bathing there (snāna), a person attains the unsurpassed realm of Viṣṇu (Viṣṇuloka).

How does this verse reflect Vaiṣṇava theology in the Padma Purāṇa?

The highest goal described is reaching Viṣṇu’s realm, and Kṛṣṇa is referenced as the divine agent behind a “great” sacred undertaking—both themes align with Vaiṣṇava devotion and salvific grace.

What ethical or devotional attitude is implied by the speaker’s question about asking Kṛṣṇa?

It implies reverence and humility: the speaker recognizes the extraordinary sanctity of the act/site and seeks to understand its divine origin by approaching Kṛṣṇa as the ultimate authority.