Shloka 5

Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Catalog of Sacred Places and the Supreme Inner Tīrtha

Devanagari script

द्वारका च पुरी रम्या भुक्तिमुक्तिप्रदायिका / प्राची सरस्वती पुण्या सप्तसारस्वतं परम्

Transliteration

dvārakā ca purī ramyā bhuktimuktipradāyikā / prācī sarasvatī puṇyā saptasārasvataṃ param

Translation

ทวารกาเป็นนครอันรื่นรมย์ ประทานทั้งความสุขและโมกษะ สรัสวตีฝ่ายบูรพาเป็นแม่น้ำอันบริสุทธิ์ และแดนจาริกสูงสุดที่ชื่อว่า “สัปตสารัสวตะ” นั้นประเสริฐยิ่ง

Word by Word

• dvārakā: Dvārakā
• dvārakā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvārakā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (fem. nominative singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• purī: city
• purī: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (fem. nominative singular)

• ramyā: lovely
• ramyā: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ramya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (fem. nominative singular)

• bhukti-mukti-pradāyikā: bestowing enjoyment and liberation
• bhukti-mukti-pradāyikā: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhukti + mukti + pradāyikā (√dā, धातु; ण्वुल्/णिनि-प्रत्ययान्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (‘bestower of enjoyment and liberation’) (fem. nominative singular; qualifying purī/dvārakā)

• prācī: Prācī
• prācī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prācī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (fem. nominative singular; river-name/region-name)

• sarasvatī: Sarasvatī
• sarasvatī: Karta (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarasvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (fem. nominative singular)

• puṇyā: holy/meritorious
• puṇyā: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (fem. nominative singular)

• sapta-sārasvatam: the ‘Seven Sārasvata’ (group of seven sacred spots)
• sapta-sārasvatam: Karta (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapta + sārasvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (‘seven’ + ‘Sārasvata [tīrtha]’) (neuter nom./acc. singular)

• param: supreme
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (neuter nom./acc. singular; qualifying sapta-sārasvatam)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Approaching Viṣṇu’s kṣetra (Dvārakā) and holy rivers (Sarasvatī) yields both worldly welfare and liberation; sacred places function as supports for devotion and purification.

Vedantic Theme: Bhakti as a direct means to grace; tīrtha as external aid to internal remembrance (smaraṇa) of Bhagavān, supporting liberation.

Application: Undertake Dvārakā darśana with japa and ethical vows; honor Sarasvatī through study, truthful speech, and support of learning; treat pilgrimage as inner transformation, not mere travel.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: city (puri); river/river-course; sacred region with multiple Sarasvatī-associated tīrthas

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: tīrtha-māhātmya lists including Dvārakā and Sarasvatī-associated sites

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā
• Sarasvatī
• Saptasārasvata

FAQs

What is the importance of Dvārakā in the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse presents Dvārakā as a tirtha that grants both bhukti (worldly well-being) and mukti (liberation), highlighting it as a spiritually complete pilgrimage site.

How does this verse relate to the path of the soul in the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

By praising tirthas that generate puṇya and support mukti, the verse implies that righteous living and sacred observances can aid the soul’s higher destiny, complementing the Purāṇa’s broader teachings on post-death outcomes.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat sacred travel and worship as a discipline: combine devotion with ethical conduct, charity, and self-restraint—so that prosperity (bhukti) is aligned with spiritual freedom (mukti).