Shloka 1

Prayāga’s Supremacy Among Tīrthas: Faith, Yoga, Charity, and the Ethics of Attainment

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर उवाच । श्रुतं मे ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्तं पुराणे पुण्यसम्मितम् । तीर्थानां तु सहस्राणि शतानि नियुतानि च

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | śrutaṃ me brahmaṇā proktaṃ purāṇe puṇyasammitam | tīrthānāṃ tu sahasrāṇi śatāni niyutāni ca

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira disse: Ouvi, conforme Brahmā declarou no Purāṇa—um relato medido em mérito—que há milhares, centenas e até dezenas de milhares de lugares sagrados de peregrinação (tīrthas).

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन

• मे: by me / of me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; enclitic pronoun

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• प्रोक्तम्: spoken, declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पुराणे: in the Purāṇa
• पुराणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• पुण्यसम्मितम्: reckoned as meritorious
• पुण्यसम्मितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्मित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• तीर्थानाम्: of pilgrimage places
• तीर्थानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थ

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• नियुतानि: myriads (ten-thousands)
• नियुतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

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

Speaker

Yudhiṣṭhira

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: युधिष्ठिर उवाच (visarga elision in pausa). प्रोक्तं पुराणे (no change). पुण्यसम्मितम् = पुण्य-सम्-मितम् (तत्पुरुष).

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Brahmā

FAQs

What does this verse suggest about the number of sacred tīrthas?

It presents tīrthas as extremely numerous—counted in hundreds, thousands, and even “niyutas” (tens of thousands), emphasizing the vast sacred geography remembered in Purāṇic tradition.

Why is Brahmā mentioned here?

Brahmā functions as an authoritative source within Purāṇic narration; Yudhiṣṭhira cites Brahmā’s statement to ground the discussion of tīrthas in revered testimony.

What is the ethical or spiritual takeaway from calling the Purāṇa “puṇya-sammitam”?

It frames the teaching as spiritually beneficial: engaging with Purāṇic instruction about tīrthas is presented as aligned with merit (puṇya) and conducive to religious life.