Shloka 85

Devanagari script

तत्राभ्यर्च्यं भवं साक्षाद्भवेद्भवसमः स्वयम् । दामोदरं स्वर्णरेखा ब्रह्मकुंडं च रैवते ॥ ८५ ॥

Transliteration

tatrābhyarcyaṃ bhavaṃ sākṣādbhavedbhavasamaḥ svayam | dāmodaraṃ svarṇarekhā brahmakuṃḍaṃ ca raivate || 85 ||

Translation

तत्र भवस्य साक्षादभ्यर्चनेन स्वयमेव भवसमो भवेत्। रैवते दामोदरं स्वर्णरेखा ब्रह्मकुण्डं चापि सन्ति॥

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative setting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अभ्यर्च्यम्: to be worshipped
• अभ्यर्च्यम्: विधेय-विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि√अर्च् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be worshipped’

• भवम्: Bhava (Śiva)
• भवम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• साक्षात्: directly, in person
• साक्षात्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• भवेत्: would become / may become
• भवेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• भव-समः: equal to Bhava (Śiva)
• भव-समः: कर्तृ-विशेषण (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपमान-निर्देश/सम्बन्ध), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘equal to Bhava’

• स्वयम्: oneself
• स्वयम्: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, आत्मवाचक (reflexive adverb)

• दामोदरम्: Dāmodara (name of a tīrtha/deity)
• दामोदरम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दामोदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तीर्थ/देवनाम

• स्वर्णरेखा: Svarṇarekhā (name of a tīrtha/river)
• स्वर्णरेखा: समुच्चित-विषय (Listed item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + रेखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: ‘golden line’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तीर्थनाम

• ब्रह्मकुण्डम्: Brahma-kuṇḍa (Brahmā’s pond)
• ब्रह्मकुण्डम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: ‘Brahmā’s pond’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• रैवते: in Raivata (at Mount Raivata)
• रैवते: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘in/at Raivata (mountain/place)’

Speaker

Suta (Suta Gosvami), narrating the tirtha-mahatmya tradition

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Bhava (Shiva)
• Damodara (Vishnu)
• Svarnarekha
• Brahmakunda
• Raivata

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It states the phala (spiritual fruit) of directly worshipping Bhava (Śiva) at the described holy place—one attains Bhava-sama status (Śiva-like merit)—and it also identifies key tirthas in Raivata: Dāmodara, Svarṇarekhā, and Brahmakūṇḍa.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

Bhakti is presented as concrete tirtha-based worship (abhyarcya): sincere, direct devotion to the deity brings transformative spiritual elevation, while the naming of Dāmodara alongside Bhava reflects the Purāṇic harmony of Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva devotion within pilgrimage practice.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It highlights kalpa-style applied ritual knowledge: identifying specific tirthas and prescribing worship (pūjā/arcana) with an explicitly stated result (phala), which is typical of Purāṇic tirtha-mahātmyas rather than technical vyākaraṇa or jyotiṣa.