Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 6
Narmadā-ādi-māhātmya
The Greatness of the Narmadā and Other Tīrthas
नर्मदापरमिति झ निर्यान्त्यमरकण्टके इति झ तपस्तामब्रवीद्धर इति ग अत्र दानं तथा जप्यमिति झ सर्वमथाक्षरमिति ख , छ च मरणं शिवलोकाय सर्वदं तीर्थमुत्तमं हरो ऽत्र क्रीडते देव्या हिरण्यकशिपुस् तथा
narmadāparamiti jha niryāntyamarakaṇṭake iti jha tapastāmabravīddhara iti ga atra dānaṃ tathā japyamiti jha sarvamathākṣaramiti kha , cha ca maraṇaṃ śivalokāya sarvadaṃ tīrthamuttamaṃ haro 'tra krīḍate devyā hiraṇyakaśipus tathā
ఇక్కడ పాఠం—“నర్మదా పరమ” మరియు “అమరకంటకంలో ధన్యులు ప్రస్థానమగుదురు” అని. మరో పాఠంలో—“హరుడు ఆమెతో ‘తపస్సు చేయి’ అని చెప్పెను” అని. ఇక్కడ దానం, జపం చేయవలెను. ఇది ఉత్తమ తీర్థం, సమస్త ఫలదాయకం; ఇక్కడ మరణం శివలోకప్రదం. ఇక్కడ దేవితో కలిసి హరుడు క్రీడించును; హిరణ్యకశిపుని విషయములోనూ అలాగే చెప్పబడింది.
Lord Agni (narrating tirtha-mahatmya, as typical in Agni Purana dialogues)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Tirtha-Mahatmya","secondary_vidya":"Stotra","practical_application":"Pilgrims to Narmadā/Amarakantaka are instructed to perform dāna and japa; the verse also frames the kṣetra as mokṣa/śivaloka-prada, shaping end-of-life and funeral/śrāddha choices.","sutra_style":false}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Commentary","entry_title":"Narmadā–Amarakantaka tīrtha: dāna–japa, śivaloka-prāpti, and Hara–Devī līlā","lookup_keywords":["Narmada","Amarakantaka","Shivaloka","dana-japa","tirtha-uttama"],"quick_summary":"The passage (with variant readings) asserts Narmadā’s supremacy and Amarakantaka’s salvific power: charity and mantra-recitation are especially efficacious; death there grants Śiva’s world, and the site is marked by Śiva–Devī’s divine sport."}
Alamkara Type: Arthāntaranyāsa (supporting statement) / Mahātmyokti (hyperbolic glorification)
Concept: Kṣetra-sādhana: japa and dāna at a charged sacred geography; death in a sanctified locus is framed as gati (post-mortem attainment).
Application: Undertake japa and dāna during Narmadā-yātrā; for those seeking śaiva gati, perform end-of-life remembrance and rites at/for Amarakantaka-Narmadā tīrtha per tradition.
Khanda Section: Tirtha-Mahatmya (Sacred Geography and Pilgrimage Merit)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Type: River/Mountain
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Amarakantaka’s forested mountain-source of Narmadā with a luminous river emergence; pilgrims doing dāna and japa; Śiva and Devī depicted playfully present at the tīrtha; a subtle motif of liberation/śivaloka ascent.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, Amarakantaka mountain with stylized trees, Narmadā flowing, Śiva and Pārvatī in gentle līlā near a liṅga, devotees chanting japa with mālā, priests receiving dāna, traditional flat composition and ornate border","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central Śiva-Pārvatī seated near a golden riverbank shrine, Narmadā personified, gold-leaf radiance, devotees offering dāna, rich temple arch and lamps, embossed ornaments","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clear narrative panels: (1) ‘Narmadā paramā’ inscription, (2) pilgrims at Amarakantaka doing japa and dāna, (3) Śiva-Devī līlā; fine linework, soft shading, didactic clarity","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed landscape of a mountain spring and river ghats, small figures performing charity and recitation, Śiva and Devī subtly enthroned in a pavilion, delicate flora, atmospheric depth"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"epic"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: निर्यान्त्यमरकण्टके → निर्यान्ति + अमरकण्टके; तपस्तामब्रवीद्धरः → तपः + ताम् + अब्रवीत् + हरः; सर्वमथाक्षरम् → सर्वम् + अथ + अक्षरम्; हरोऽत्र → हरः + अत्र; (झ/ग/ख/छ are editorial variant markers, treated as indeclinables)
Related Themes: Agni Purana 113 (Narmadā–Śrīparvata-māhātmya); Agni Purana 114 (Gayā-māhātmya: another death/śrāddha merit locus)
FAQs
It prescribes core tirtha-practice: perform dāna (charity) and japa (mantra-recitation) at the Narmadā/Amarakantaka sacred region to obtain comprehensive merit (sarvada).
It exemplifies the Purana’s tirtha-mahātmya layer—mapping sacred places (Narmadā, Amarakantaka) to specific ritual actions (dāna, japa) and promised results (Śivaloka), integrating geography, ritual, and soteriology.
The verse frames the site as an “uttama-tīrtha” where prescribed acts purify karma and where death itself is portrayed as a direct cause for attaining Śiva’s realm (Śivaloka).