Shloka 86

Account of Various Sacred Tīrthas

Pilgrimage Merits and Prayāga Supremacy

Devanagari script

सर्वं दहति गंगापस्तूलराशिमिवानलः । सर्वं कृतयुगे पुण्यं त्रेतायां पुष्करं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

sarvaṃ dahati gaṃgāpastūlarāśimivānalaḥ | sarvaṃ kṛtayuge puṇyaṃ tretāyāṃ puṣkaraṃ smṛtam

Translation

Воды Ганги сжигают всё, как огонь пожирает груду хлопка. В Крита-югу всё считалось благочестивым; в Трета-югу Пушкару помнят как первейшую святыню.

Word by Word

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दहति: burns
• दहति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• गंगापः: Ganges waters
• गंगापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गाप्/गङ्गा-अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (आप्-शब्द), प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तूलराशिम्: a heap of cotton
• तूलराशिम्: Karma (Object in simile/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तूल (प्रातिपदिक) + राशि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'तूलस्य राशिः' (genitive-tatpuruṣa)

• इव: like
• इव: Upama-marker (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमार्थक

• अनलः: fire
• अनलः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: the whole (supreme)
• सर्वम्: Karta-anvaya (Predicate/प्राधान्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as predicate-noun with 'पुण्यम्' sense

• कृतयुगे: in the Kṛta-yuga
• कृतयुगे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृतयुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; 'कृतं युगम्'

• पुण्यम्: merit (holy efficacy)
• पुण्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्रेतायाम्: in the Tretā (yuga)
• त्रेतायाम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• पुष्करम्: Puṣkara
• पुष्करम्: Karta-anvaya (Predicate nominative/प्राधान्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्मृतम्: is regarded (as)
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (Predicative passive/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle) used predicatively; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'is remembered/considered'

Speaker

Unspecified (context-dependent narrator within the Svarga-khaṇḍa dialogue)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: गंगापस्तूलराशिमिवानलः = गंगापः + तूलराशिम् + इव + अनलः (सन्धि: पः+त→पस्; इव+अनलः→इवानलः).

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Puṣkara

FAQs

What does the cotton-and-fire simile imply about Gaṅgā in this verse?

It portrays Gaṅgā-water as powerfully purifying—able to destroy accumulated impurities (especially sins) swiftly and completely, just as fire instantly consumes a pile of cotton.

How does the verse compare sacred merit across the Yugas?

It suggests that in Kṛta Yuga merit was widespread or easily attained (“all was meritorious”), whereas in Tretā Yuga Puṣkara is singled out as a particularly renowned locus of merit among tīrthas.

What ethical or devotional takeaway does this verse encourage?

It encourages seeking purification and merit through sacred means—reverence for purifying tīrthas like Gaṅgā and honoring eminent pilgrimage sites like Puṣkara—while recognizing that spiritual conditions and practices are framed differently across Yugas.