Shloka 31
The Glory of Bhārata-varṣa: Enumerating Mountains, Rivers, and Regions
कुमारीमृषितुल्यां च मारिषां च सरस्वतीम् । मंदाकिनीं सुपुण्यां च सर्वां गंगां च सत्तमाः
kumārīmṛṣitulyāṃ ca māriṣāṃ ca sarasvatīm | maṃdākinīṃ supuṇyāṃ ca sarvāṃ gaṃgāṃ ca sattamāḥ
Dan (mereka memuji) Kumārī—kesuciannya setara seorang ṛṣi—bersama Māriṣā dan Sarasvatī; Mandākinī yang amat besar pahalanya; serta Gaṅgā yang menyucikan segala-galanya, wahai yang utama antara orang berbudi.
Unspecified (context not provided; likely within a Pulastya–Bhīṣma narration in Svarga-khaṇḍa)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: river
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ‘kumārīmṛṣitulyāṃ’ = kumārīm + ṛṣitulyām. ‘supuṇyāṃ’ analyzed as su + puṇyām (karmadhāraya). Final ‘sattamāḥ’ functions as vocative-like address though formally nominative plural.
FAQs
It groups multiple revered waters—Kumārī, Māriṣā, Sarasvatī, Mandākinī, and Gaṅgā—treating them as a sacred network of tīrthas whose presence sanctifies regions and pilgrimage routes.
By venerating holy rivers as supremely purifying, the verse supports devotional practice through tīrtha-yātrā, remembrance, and reverence—common bhakti expressions tied to sacred landscapes.
It teaches respect for sanctity embodied in nature—honoring and approaching sacred waters with purity, humility, and restraint, recognizing their role in moral and spiritual purification.