Agni Purana — Bhuvanakosha & Tirtha-mahatmya, Shloka 13

प्रयागमाहात्म्यम्

The Greatness of Prayāga

Devanagari script

वटमूले सङ्गमादौ मृतो विष्णुपुरीं व्रजेत् उर्वशीपुलिनं रम्यं तीर्थं सन्ध्यावतस् तथा

Transliteration

vaṭamūle saṅgamādau mṛto viṣṇupurīṃ vrajet urvaśīpulinaṃ ramyaṃ tīrthaṃ sandhyāvatas tathā

Translation

ผู้ใดสิ้นชีวิต ณ โคนต้นไทรใกล้สังฆม ย่อมไปสู่วิษณุปุรี นครของพระวิษณุ; และฝั่งอันรื่นรมย์ของอุรวศีก็เป็นทีรถะสำหรับผู้มั่นคงในพิธีสันธยาเช่นกัน।

Word by Word

• वटमूले: at the root of the banyan tree
• वटमूले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वट + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वटस्य मूलम्)

• सङ्गमादौ: at the beginning/near the confluence
• सङ्गमादौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्गम + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुष (सङ्गमस्य आदि/प्रारम्भः)

• मृतः: one who has died
• मृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP)

• विष्णुपुरीम्: to Viṣṇu’s city (Vaikuṇṭha)
• विष्णुपुरीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु + पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विष्णोः पुरी)

• व्रजेत्: would go/should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• उर्वशीपुलिनम्: Urvaśī’s sandbank
• उर्वशीपुलिनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उर्वशी + पुलिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (उर्वश्याः पुलिनम्)

• रम्यम्: beautiful
• रम्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (for पुलिनम्/तीर्थम्)

• तीर्थम्: pilgrimage-place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्म/उद्देश्य

• सन्ध्यावतः: of Sandhyāvat (name of a tīrtha/person)
• सन्ध्यावतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ध्यावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/प्रकारार्थ (also/likewise)

Speaker

Lord Agni (narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s dialogue frame)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Geographic Context

Type: Tirtha

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: No major external sandhi beyond compound segmentation (वट-मूल, विष्णु-पुरी, उर्वशी-पुलिन).

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Viṣṇupurī
• Vaṭa (banyan tree)
• Saṅgama (river confluence)
• Urvaśī
• Tīrtha
• Sandhyā

FAQs

What technical or ritual knowledge (Vidya) is imparted in this verse?

It teaches tīrtha-mahātmyā in practical terms: dying at a consecrated locus (vaṭa-mūla at a saṅgama) is said to yield viṣṇu-loka attainment, and regular sandhyā-observance is linked with merit at a specific tīrtha (Urvaśī-pulina).

How does this verse contribute to the 'Encyclopedic' nature of the Agni Purana?

It catalogs sacred geography (named tīrthas and their फल), alongside daily ritual discipline (sandhyā). This blend of pilgrimage lore, ritual practice, and soteriological outcome is characteristic of the Agni Purāṇa’s wide-ranging, encyclopedic scope.

What is the spiritual or karmic significance of this specific instruction?

The verse frames certain places and practices as high-merit conduits: death at a sanctified confluence is portrayed as producing an exalted post-mortem destination (Viṣṇupurī), while sandhyā practice is affirmed as spiritually efficacious when connected to tīrtha observance.