Shloka 17

The Glory of Prayāga: Merit of Bathing, Remembrance, and Divine Protection

Devanagari script

धर्मानुसारी तत्त्वज्ञो गोब्राह्मणहिते रतः । गंगायमुनयोर्मध्ये स्नातो मुच्येत किल्बिषात्

Transliteration

dharmānusārī tattvajño gobrāhmaṇahite rataḥ | gaṃgāyamunayormadhye snāto mucyeta kilbiṣāt

Translation

ధర్మానుసారిగా నడుచుకొని, తత్త్వాన్ని తెలిసి, గో-బ్రాహ్మణ హితంలో ఆనందించే వాడు—గంగా యమునల మధ్యదేశంలో స్నానం చేస్తే పాపముల నుండి విముక్తుడవుతాడని చెప్పబడింది।

Word by Word

• dharma-anusārī: one who follows dharma
• dharma-anusārī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma + anusārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: ‘धर्मम् अनुसरति’ (one who follows dharma)

• tattva-jñaḥ: knower of reality
• tattva-jñaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tattva + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: ‘तत्त्वं जानाति’ (knower of truth)

• go-brāhmaṇa-hite: in the welfare of cows and Brahmins
• go-brāhmaṇa-hite: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go + brāhmaṇa + hita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: ‘गोब्राह्मणयोः हिते’ (in the welfare of cows and Brahmins)

• rataḥ: engaged/devoted
• rataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rata (√ram, क्त) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• gaṅgā-yamunayoḥ: of Gaṅgā and Yamunā
• gaṅgā-yamunayoḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṅgā + yamunā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine) dual sense, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), द्विवचन (Dual); द्वन्द्व: ‘गङ्गा च यमुना च’

• madhye: in the middle/between
• madhye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• snātaḥ: (one) who has bathed
• snātaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snāta (√snā, क्त) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); कर्तरि प्रयोग: ‘having bathed’

• mucyeta: would be freed
• mucyeta: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (धातu)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/फलार्थ: ‘would be freed’

• kilbiṣāt: from sin/impurity
• kilbiṣāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kilbiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Not explicitly specified in the provided excerpt (contextual speaker in Adhyaya 41 not given).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: gobrāhmaṇahite → go-brāhmaṇa-hite; gaṃgāyamunayor → gaṅgā-yamunayoḥ (vowel sandhi); mucyeta is optative (vidhiliṅ) passive sense.

Characters & Entities

• Gaṅgā
• Yamunā
• Go (cows)
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What does this verse reveal about the geography of sacred Tirthas?

It highlights the sanctity of the Gaṅgā–Yamunā doab (the land between the rivers), treating bathing there as a powerful tīrtha-practice associated with purification from sin.

How does this verse emphasize the path of Bhakti?

While not explicitly devotional to a single deity, it frames purification as connected to dharmic living and reverence for sacred institutions (cows and Brahmins), a common Purāṇic foundation that supports bhakti as a lived ethical-religious discipline.

What is the ethical lesson from this dialogue?

Mere ritual is not isolated from conduct: the verse links spiritual benefit with being dharma-following, truth-knowing, and committed to the welfare of socially and ritually revered beings (cows and Brahmins).