Shloka 4

Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Catalog of Sacred Places and the Supreme Inner Tīrtha

Devanagari script

कुरुक्षेत्रं परं तीर्थं दानाद्यैर्भुक्तिमुक्तिदम् / प्रभासं परं तीर्थं सोमनाथो हि तत्र च

Transliteration

kurukṣetraṃ paraṃ tīrthaṃ dānādyairbhuktimuktidam / prabhāsaṃ paraṃ tīrthaṃ somanātho hi tatra ca

Translation

कुरुक्षेत्रं परं तीर्थं दानाद्यैर्भुक्तिमुक्तिदम्। प्रभासं परं तीर्थं सोमनाथो हि तत्र च॥

Word by Word

• kuru-kṣetram: Kurukṣetra
• kuru-kṣetram: Karta (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuru + kṣetra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी: ‘of the Kurus’ + ‘field’) (neuter nom./acc. singular)

• param: supreme
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter nom./acc. singular; agreeing with tīrtham)

• tīrtham: pilgrimage place
• tīrtham: Karta (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom./acc. singular)

• dāna-ādyaiḥ: by gifts and the like
• dāna-ādyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘gift and the like’) (instrumental plural)

• bhukti-mukti-dam: granting enjoyment and liberation
• bhukti-mukti-dam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhukti + mukti + da (√dā, धातु) + a (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘giver of enjoyment and liberation’) (neuter nom./acc. singular; qualifying tīrtham)

• prabhāsam: Prabhāsa
• prabhāsam: Karta (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (masc. nom./acc. singular; place-name)

• param: supreme
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter nom./acc. singular; agreeing with tīrtham)

• tīrtham: pilgrimage place
• tīrtham: Karta (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom./acc. singular)

• somanāthaḥ: Somanātha
• somanāthaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: somanātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc. nominative singular)

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/कारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic/causal particle)

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place ‘there’)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Dāna and allied rites at potent kṣetras yield both worldly prosperity and liberation; place and intention magnify karmic outcomes.

Vedantic Theme: Karma-yoga as purifier: giving (dāna) reduces possessiveness and supports inner freedom; tīrtha as upāya toward mokṣa in Purāṇic pedagogy.

Application: Practice dāna (food, clothing, cows/means, support to the needy) with humility; if visiting Kurukṣetra/Prabhāsa, combine charity with vows, japa, and temple darśana.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: kṣetra/tīrtha; coastal sacred region/temple-site

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: dāna-phala and tīrtha-phala enumerations in related chapters

Characters & Entities

• Kurukshetra
• Prabhasa
• Somanatha

FAQs

What is the importance of Kurukṣetra as a tīrtha in the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse calls Kurukṣetra a “supreme tīrtha” and highlights that dāna and allied rites performed there are said to grant both bhukti (worldly well-being) and mukti (liberation).

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in terms of merit and liberation?

Rather than describing post-death geography, it links liberation-oriented progress to merit-producing actions—especially charity and sacred observances performed at powerful tīrthas—implying that such dharmic acts support the soul’s higher destiny.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Prioritize dāna (charity), offerings, and disciplined worship—especially when visiting holy places—while keeping the intent aligned with dharma, not merely material gain.