Shloka 62

Gayā-kṣetra and Phalgu Tīrtha: Sites, Rites, and the Liberation of the Pitṛs

Devanagari script

पुण्डरीकं विष्णुलोकं प्राप्नुयात्कोटितीर्थगः / या सा वैतरणी नाम त्रिषु लोकेषु विश्रुता

Transliteration

puṇḍarīkaṃ viṣṇulokaṃ prāpnuyātkoṭitīrthagaḥ / yā sā vaitaraṇī nāma triṣu lokeṣu viśrutā

Translation

ผู้ใดอาบน้ำในทิรถะนับโกฏิ ย่อมบรรลุ ‘ปุณฑรีกะ’ แดนพระวิษณุ แม่น้ำนั้นชื่อ ‘ไวตระณี’ เลื่องลือไปทั่วสามโลก

Word by Word

• पुण्डरीकम्: Puṇḍarīka (a sacred realm/place)
• पुण्डरीकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्डरीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म (goal)

• विष्णुलोकम्: Viṣṇu's world
• विष्णुलोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णुलोक (प्रातिपदिक; विष्णु + लोक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः लोकः)

• प्राप्नुयात्: should attain
• प्राप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कोटितीर्थगः: one who has visited countless sacred fords
• कोटितीर्थगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि-तीर्थ-ग (प्रातिपदिक; कोटि + तीर्थ + ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (कोटीनां तीर्थानां गः = तीर्थगः, 'one who has gone to myriad tīrthas')

• या: which (she)
• या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धे (relative pronoun)

• सा: that (she)
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ (correlative: 'that')

• वैतरणी: Vaitaraṇī (river)
• वैतरणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैतरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नदी-नाम

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नाम-शब्दः; संज्ञासूचक-अव्यय (particle indicating appellation: 'by name')

• त्रिषु: in the three
• त्रिषु: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; विशेषणं लोकेषु

• लोकेषु: worlds
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• विश्रुता: well-known
• विश्रुता: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + श्रु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकर्मणि/भावे; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणं वैतरण्याः

Speaker

Lord Viṣṇu (in dialogue with Garuḍa/Vinatā-putra)

Pretakalpa Layer

Afterlife Stage: Svarga

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tīrtha-sevā and snāna, when aligned with Viṣṇu-oriented aspiration, yields Viṣṇuloka attainment.

Vedantic Theme: Saguna-upāsanā leading to sālokya/sāmīpya-type fruition (Viṣṇuloka); Purāṇic valuation of tīrtha as a catalyst for inner purification.

Application: Undertake tīrtha-snāna with restraint, japa, and Viṣṇu-smaraṇa; treat pilgrimage as a vow (niyama) rather than tourism.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: nadī (sacred river/ford)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana tīrtha-mahātmyas and Vaitaraṇī mentions in śrāddha contexts; Nearby Gayā-focused verses linking tīrtha acts to pitṛ uplift

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Viṣṇuloka
• Vaitaraṇī

FAQs

What is the importance of Vaitaraṇī in the Garuḍa Purāṇa?

This verse presents Vaitaraṇī as a universally famed threshold in the post-death journey, a key landmark in the Purāṇic map of the afterlife.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

By linking extraordinary sacred merit (koṭi-tīrtha) with reaching Viṣṇu’s realm and by naming Vaitaraṇī as renowned in all three worlds, it frames the afterlife path as structured and morally/ritually conditioned.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat pilgrimage and religious practice as inner purification rather than tourism—use tīrtha visits, charity, and dharma to cultivate a Viṣṇu-oriented life, which the text associates with auspicious post-death destiny.