Shloka 15

Śivakṣetra–Tīrtha–Māhātmya

The Salvific Function of Shiva’s Sacred Domains

Devanagari script

कृष्णवेणी पुण्यनदी सर्वपापक्षयावहा । साष्टादशमुखाप्रोक्ता विष्णुलोकप्रदायिनी

Transliteration

kṛṣṇaveṇī puṇyanadī sarvapāpakṣayāvahā | sāṣṭādaśamukhāproktā viṣṇulokapradāyinī

Translation

कृष्णवेणी पुण्यनदी सर्वपापक्षयावहा; साष्टादशमुखा प्रोक्ता, विष्णुलोकप्रदायिनी।

Word by Word

• कृष्णवेणी: Kṛṣṇaveṇī (river)
• कृष्णवेणी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण + वेणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; river-name; karmadhāraya 'dark-braided/black-stream'

• पुण्य-नदी: holy river
• पुण्य-नदी: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; appositional to कृष्णवेणी

• सर्व-पाप-क्षय-आवहा: bringing the destruction of all sins
• सर्व-पाप-क्षय-आवहा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + क्षय + आवह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; tatpuruṣa 'bringing about the destruction of all sins'

• सा: she (that river)
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; pronoun referring to the river

• अष्टादश-मुखा: eighteen-mouthed/faced
• अष्टादश-मुखा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टादश + मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; dvigu 'having eighteen mouths/faces'

• प्रोक्ता: is said; is called
• प्रोक्ता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√वच् (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विष्णु-लोक-प्रदायिनी: bestower of Viṣṇu’s world
• विष्णु-लोक-प्रदायिनी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु + लोक + प्रदायिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; tatpuruṣa 'giver of Viṣṇu-loka'

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Sadāśiva

Jyotirlinga Context

Sthala Purana: The verse continues the nadī-māhātmya pattern: a river’s purifying power is described along with a loka-phala (here Viṣṇuloka). In Śaiva Siddhānta reading, such fruits are within saṃsāric hierarchies unless transmuted by Śiva’s anugraha; the mention of Viṣṇuloka functions as graded phala for tīrtha-sevā.

Significance: Tīrtha-contact is presented as sarva-pāpa-kṣaya and as granting a high celestial attainment (Viṣṇuloka), illustrating karma-phala gradation for the bound soul (paśu) under māyā.

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu

FAQs

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

It praises Kṛṣṇaveṇī as a tīrtha whose sanctity purifies the seeker—symbolizing inner cleansing (mala-kṣaya) and the karmic lightening that supports spiritual ascent.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

In the Shiva Purana, tīrtha-glorification commonly accompanies Linga worship and vrata observances: bathing in a sacred river is presented as a preparatory purification that makes one fit for Saguna Shiva devotion and temple rites.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Tīrtha-snāna (ritual bath) with remembrance of the deity and dedication of the merit; as a Shaiva takeaway, it can be paired with japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” before or after the bath.