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
มีคัมภีร์อ่านว่า “นรมทาเป็นยอดยิ่ง” และ “ผู้เป็นมงคลย่อมจากไป ณ อมรกันฏกะ” อีกสำนวนว่า “หระตรัสแก่เธอว่า ‘จงบำเพ็ญตบะ’” ณ ที่นี้พึงทำทานและชปะ (สวดภาวนา) ตีรถะอันประเสริฐนี้ประทานผลทั้งปวง; ความตายที่นี่นำไปสู่โลกพระศิวะ ที่นี่หระทรงสำราญร่วมกับพระเทวี และยังกล่าวเช่นนั้นถึงหิรัณยกศิปุด้วย
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).