Praise of the Sacred Geography of Mathurā
तीर्थं तद्वद कल्याणं तीर्थानामुत्तमोत्तमम् ॥ यदस्ति दुर्लभं तीर्थं तत्त्वं कथय मे प्रभो ॥
tīrthaṃ tad vada kalyāṇaṃ tīrthānām uttamottamam || yad asti durlabhaṃ tīrthaṃ tattvaṃ kathaya me prabho ||
Huraikanlah tempat ziarah yang membawa kesejahteraan itu—yang paling utama antara segala tīrtha. Tīrtha apa pun yang sukar diperoleh, wahai Prabhu, jelaskan hakikatnya kepadaku.
Pṛthivī (Dharaṇī)
It illustrates how tīrtha-māhātmya passages combine geography with philosophical vocabulary (tattva), creating a layered discourse of place and meaning.
No specific tīrtha is named yet; the verse functions as a formal request that sets up the identification of Mathurā in the response.
An ethic of inquiry: the speaker requests not only a name but the ‘tattva’—the underlying rationale—encouraging thoughtful engagement with heritage traditions.
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
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