Shloka 22

Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Catalog of Sacred Places and the Supreme Inner Tīrtha

Devanagari script

कृष्णवेणी भीमरथी गण्डकी या त्विरावती / तीर्थं बिन्दुसरः पुण्यं विष्णुपादोदकं परम्

Transliteration

kṛṣṇaveṇī bhīmarathī gaṇḍakī yā tvirāvatī / tīrthaṃ bindusaraḥ puṇyaṃ viṣṇupādodakaṃ param

Translation

Kṛṣṇaveṇī, Bhīmarathī, Gaṇḍakī dan Irāvatī—beserta tīrtha bernama Bindusaras—semuanya amat suci, kerana itulah air luhur yang telah menyentuh kaki Tuhan Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• कृष्णवेणी: Kṛṣṇaveṇī (river)
• कृष्णवेणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण-वेणी (प्रातिपदिक; कृष्ण + वेणी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (कृष्णा वेणी)

• भीमरथी: Bhīmarathī (river)
• भीमरथी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीम-रथी (प्रातिपदिक; भीम + रथी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• गण्डकी: Gaṇḍakī (river)
• गण्डकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण्डकी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• या: which; that (fem.)
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तु: and/but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• इरावती: Irāvatī (river)
• इरावती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इरावती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford; pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Pradhana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-नाम (predicate noun)

• बिन्दुसरः: Bindu-lake (Bindusaras)
• बिन्दुसरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिन्दु-सरस् (प्रातिपदिक; बिन्दु + सरस्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (बिन्दोः सरः)

• पुण्यम्: holy; meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• विष्णुपादोदकम्: water from Viṣṇu’s feet (sacred water)
• विष्णुपादोदकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु-पाद-उदक (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णु + पाद + उदक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः पादस्य उदकम्)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (श्रेष्ठम्)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Sanctity arises from sambandha with Bhagavān; sacred waters function as carriers of grace and purification.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-sambandha as purifier: contact (sparśa/smaraṇa) with the divine transforms the ordinary into a means of inner cleansing.

Application: Use tīrtha-jala with reverence (ācamana, snāna, prokṣaṇa) alongside japa and ethical restraint; avoid commodifying or polluting sacred rivers.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: rivers and sacred lake/ford (sarovara/tīrtha)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.81.21 (tīrtha hierarchy); Garuda Purana 1.81.23-24 (inner tīrtha surpassing outer)

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Krishnaveni
• Bhimarathi
• Gandaki
• Iravati
• Bindusaras

FAQs

What is the importance of Viṣṇupādodaka in the Garuda Purana?

This verse identifies certain rivers and tīrthas as supremely purifying because they are regarded as “Viṣṇu’s foot-water,” implying exceptional spiritual merit and cleansing power connected to Viṣṇu.

How does this verse relate to purification and the soul’s journey?

By emphasizing tīrthas as spiritually purifying waters linked to Viṣṇu, the verse supports the Garuda Purana theme that sacred observances—especially those connected to Viṣṇu—aid purification and upliftment, which is relevant to rites performed for spiritual welfare.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Approach pilgrimage and sacred-water practices with devotion and ethical living, treating tīrtha not as tourism but as a discipline of purification—through prayer, restraint, charity, and remembrance of Viṣṇu.