Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

श्वेतद्वीपं पुरी माया नैमिषं पुष्करं परम् / अयोध्या चार्घ्यतीर्थं तु चित्रकूटं च गोमती

Transliteration

śvetadvīpaṃ purī māyā naimiṣaṃ puṣkaraṃ param / ayodhyā cārghyatīrthaṃ tu citrakūṭaṃ ca gomatī

Translation

เศวตทวีป เมืองมายา ไนมิษะ และปุษกรอันประเสริฐ; อโยธยา อรฆยะ-ตีรถะ พร้อมทั้งจิตรกูฏและแม่น้ำโคมตี—ล้วนเป็นสถานที่ศักดิ์สิทธิ์.

Word by Word

• श्वेतद्वीपम्: Śvetadvīpa (White Island)
• श्वेतद्वीपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• पुरी: Purī (place name)
• पुरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• माया: Māyā (place name)
• माया: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• नैमिषम्: Naimiṣa (Naimiṣāraṇya)
• नैमिषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नैमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• पुष्करम्: Puṣkara
• पुष्करम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (पुष्करम्)

• अयोध्या: Ayodhyā
• अयोध्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• अर्घ्यतीर्थम्: Arghya-tīrtha (name of a sacred ford)
• अर्घ्यतीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्घ्य + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• चित्रकूटम्: Citrakūṭa
• चित्रकूटम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र + कूट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• गोमती: Gomatī (river)
• गोमती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vainateya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Nāma-smaraṇa of tīrthas and kṣetra-darśana as bhakti-supporting disciplines that purify and orient the mind toward dharma and devotion.

Vedantic Theme: Mind purification (citta-śuddhi) through sattvic saṃskāras; sacred geography as upāya for steadiness in remembrance of Bhagavān.

Application: Keep a tīrtha-nāma-japa/reading practice; study the itihāsa-purāṇa narratives tied to each place; when possible, visit with vows of simplicity and service.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: dvīpa / purī / araṇya / tīrtha / parvata-kṣetra / nadī

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: tīrtha lists and kṣetra-mahātmyas across Pūrvakhaṇḍa (general internal pattern)

Characters & Entities

• Śvetadvīpa
• Māyā-purī
• Naimiṣa
• Puṣkara
• Ayodhyā
• Arghya-tīrtha
• Citrakūṭa
• Gomatī

FAQs

What is the importance of tīrthas (holy places) in the Garuda Purana?

This verse highlights renowned tīrthas as spiritually purifying locations, reinforcing the Garuda Purana theme that dharmic acts—such as pilgrimage and worship at sacred sites—support inner purification and merit.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul in the Garuda Purana?

Indirectly: by emphasizing tīrthas, it points to dharma-based purification and merit (puṇya) as supports for auspicious outcomes after death, a recurring concern in Garuda Purana teachings.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat pilgrimage and sacred-place worship as a discipline of ethical living—combine visits (or remembrance) of tīrthas with charity, restraint, and daily offerings to cultivate steadiness and purity.