Shloka 28

Dāna-vrata and the Tīrtha Circuit of Venkaṭādri

Snāna, Mantra, Naivedya

Devanagari script

पुनः परदिने प्राप्ते शक्रतीर्थमनुत्तमम् / कपिलाख्योर्ध्वदेशे तु तत्तीर्थं पावनं स्मृतम्

Transliteration

punaḥ paradine prāpte śakratīrthamanuttamam / kapilākhyordhvadeśe tu tattīrthaṃ pāvanaṃ smṛtam

Translation

ครั้นถึงวันถัดไป ย่อมได้ถึงศักรตีรถะอันยอดเยี่ยม และในแดนเบื้องบนที่เรียกว่า ‘กปิลา’ ตีรถะนั้นเป็นที่ระลึกว่าให้ความบริสุทธิ์.

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्ति-वाचक-अव्यय (again)

• परदिने: on the next day
• परदिने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘परः दिनः’ = next day

• प्राप्ते: when (it) arrived
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; लोकेटिव-अब्सोल्यूट (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध) ‘when (it) had come’

• शक्र-तीर्थम्: Śakra’s sacred ford
• शक्र-तीर्थम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘शक्रस्य तीर्थम्’

• अनुत्तमम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तीर्थम्)

• कपिलाख्ये: in (the place) called Kapila
• कपिलाख्ये: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कपिल + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष ‘कपिल-आख्य’ = named Kapila; विशेषण (qualifying देशे)

• ऊर्ध्व-देशे: in the upper region
• ऊर्ध्व-देशे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय ‘ऊर्ध्वः देशः’ = upper region

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषण (qualifying तीर्थम्)

• तीर्थम्: sacred place/ford
• तीर्थम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• पावनम्: purifying
• पावनम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तीर्थम्)

• स्मृतम्: is said/known
• स्मृतम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate) ‘is said/remembered’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Tīrtha-sevana (visiting sacred fords) as a purificatory karma that supports spiritual progress.

Vedantic Theme: External purification as an aid to inner purification; śraddhā and saṅkalpa make karma spiritually efficacious.

Application: Undertake pilgrimages or local sacred visits with ethical preparation (restraint, truthfulness), treating them as opportunities for self-purification.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: tīrtha (sacred ford)

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.27 (sequence of tīrthas: Svāmipuṣkariṇī → Śakra-tīrtha → further lakes/weapon-tīrthas)

Characters & Entities

• Shakra (Indra)
• Shakra-tirtha
• Kapila (region/place-name)

FAQs

What is the importance of Śakra-tīrtha in the Garuda Purana?

This verse identifies Śakra-tīrtha as an “unsurpassed” sacred ford and explicitly calls it purifying, indicating high spiritual merit associated with visiting or remembering it.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul or spiritual progress?

Rather than describing punishments or afterlife travel, the verse emphasizes sacred geography—progress marked by reaching a tīrtha that purifies—framing spiritual advancement through contact with holy places and their sanctifying power.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Treat pilgrimage and sacred-site remembrance as disciplines of purification: approach tīrthas with restraint, prayer, and ethical conduct, using the visit as a reset toward dharma rather than mere travel.