Shloka 37

Prahlada's Tirtha Circuit — Prahlada’s Pilgrimage Circuit: Tirtha-Mahatmya from Naimisha to Rudrakoti and Shalagrama

Devanagari script

कोटिसंख्यास्तपः सिद्धा हरदर्शलालसाः अहं पूर्वमहं पूर्वमित्येवं वादिनो मुन्

Transliteration

koṭisaṃkhyāstapaḥ siddhā haradarśalālasāḥ ahaṃ pūrvamahaṃ pūrvamityevaṃ vādino mun

Translation

முனிவரே! தவத்தால் सिद्धி பெற்ற கோடிக்கணக்கான தவசிகள், ஹரனின் தரிசனத்திற்காக ஏங்கித் தங்களுக்குள் வாதிட்டனர்—‘நான் முதலில், நான் முதலில்’ என்று.

Speakers

• Narrator (Purāṇic speaker) addressing a sage (muni); broader frame typically a r̥ṣi-to-r̥ṣi dialogue in tīrtha-māhātmya sections.

Primary Deities

• Śiva (Hara/Maheśvara)

Key Themes

• Tīrtha-māhātmya (pilgrimage glory)
• Darśana of Śiva
• Ascetic rivalry and humility
• Tapas and siddhi

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "hasya", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why do perfected ascetics quarrel if they are ‘tapaḥ-siddha’?

Purāṇic tīrtha narratives often depict even advanced beings momentarily overtaken by subtle ego (ahaṃkāra) when competing for divine audience. The episode functions as a didactic contrast: tapas grants power, but humility and order are still required for auspicious darśana.

What is implied by ‘Hara-darśana’ in a tīrtha context?

Darśana here is not mere seeing; it is a sacral encounter that sanctifies the place and the devotee. Such passages typically prepare for a localized manifestation of Śiva that becomes the basis for naming a tīrtha.

Does ‘koṭi’ indicate literal numbers or a conventional hyperbole?

In Purāṇic style, ‘koṭi’ can be both: a literal large count and a conventional marker of vastness. In tīrtha-māhātmya, it underscores the extraordinary sanctity of the site—so great that multitudes of siddhas converge there.