Shloka 22

Sacred Abodes of Vishnu & Shiva — Catalogue of Vishnu and Shiva’s Sacred Abodes (Tirtha-Mahatmya within the Pulastya–Narada Frame)

Devanagari script

महालये स्मृतं रुद्रमुत्तरेषु कुरुष्वथ पद्मनाभं मुनिश्रेष्ठ सर्वसौख्यप्रदायकम्

Transliteration

mahālaye smṛtaṃ rudramuttareṣu kuruṣvatha padmanābhaṃ muniśreṣṭha sarvasaukhyapradāyakam

Translation

At Mahālaya, Rudra is remembered (as present). And in the northern Kurus, O best of sages, (is) Padmanābha, the giver of all happiness.

Speakers

• Narrator/teacher addressing a sage (vocative: muniśreṣṭha); specific interlocutors not stated in the given excerpt.

Primary Deities

• Shiva (Rudra)
• Vishnu (Padmanabha)

Key Themes

• Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava co-presence across the sacred map
• Mythic geography (Uttara-Kuru) integrated into pilgrimage imagination
• Deity epithets as cartographic markers

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Does ‘smṛtaṃ rudram’ imply a shrine, a legend, or a doctrinal remembrance?

In tīrtha lists, ‘smṛta’ typically signals established tradition: the place is known for Rudra’s presence—through a shrine, a local legend, or a remembered manifestation. The wording emphasizes authoritative memory rather than narrating the full story.

What is Uttara-Kuru in Purāṇic geography?

Uttara-Kuru is a celebrated northern realm beyond the ordinary human geography, often described as a blessed region. Mentioning Padmanābha there extends the sacred map from accessible tīrthas to cosmographic zones.

Why is Padmanābha called ‘sarvasaukhyapradāyaka’ here?

The epithet frames Viṣṇu’s presence as beneficent and soteriological: pilgrimage/remembering Padmanābha is presented as a source of comprehensive welfare—material well-being and spiritual auspiciousness.