Shloka 42
The Account of the Fruits of Bathing at Particular Sacred Places
Tīrtha-viśeṣa-snāna-phala
रामतीर्थं ततः पुण्यं वैकुंठं यत्र सन्निधौ । सोमतीर्थं ततः पुण्यं यत्रासौ नकुलो मुनिः ॥ ४२ ॥
rāmatīrthaṃ tataḥ puṇyaṃ vaikuṃṭhaṃ yatra sannidhau | somatīrthaṃ tataḥ puṇyaṃ yatrāsau nakulo muniḥ || 42 ||
ततः पुण्यं रामतीर्थं, यत्र सन्निधौ वैकुण्ठमेव। ततः पुण्यं सोमतीर्थं, यत्र नकुलो मुनिरासीत्॥
Narada
Vrata: none
Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"bhakti (devotion)","secondary_rasa":"adbhuta (wonder)","emotional_journey":"From naming a holy spot to an exalted identification (‘it is Vaikuṇṭha itself’), the verse heightens devotion through a sudden leap into sacred presence; it then settles into reverence for a resident sage."}
FAQs
It elevates specific tīrthas as direct conduits of divine presence—Rāma-tīrtha is praised as “Vaikuṇṭha” because the Lord’s sannidhi (living proximity) is experienced there, while Soma-tīrtha is sanctified by the residence of a realized muni (Nakula).
Bhakti is framed as seeking Bhagavān’s sannidhi: pilgrimage is not mere travel but approaching places where Viṣṇu’s presence is especially accessible, and honoring saints whose tapas and realization make a site spiritually potent.
No specific Vedāṅga (like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa) is taught in this verse; the practical takeaway is tīrtha-yātrā dharma—identifying sanctified locations by (1) divine sannidhi and (2) the abode of a muni, which guides ritual planning and pilgrimage discipline.