Shloka 11

Tīrtha-Māhātmya and the Discipline of Pilgrimage (Tīrtha-sevā) within Prāyaścitta

Devanagari script

महाकालमिति ख्यातं तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम् / गत्वा प्राणान् परित्यज्य गाणपत्यमवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

mahākālamiti khyātaṃ tīrthaṃ trailokyaviśrutam / gatvā prāṇān parityajya gāṇapatyamavāpnuyāt

Translation

มีตีรถะชื่อ “มหากาล” อันเลื่องลือทั่วไตรโลก ผู้ไปถึงที่นั้นแล้วสละลมหายใจ ย่อมบรรลุภาวะกาณปัตยะ คือได้ถึงฐานะแห่งพระคเณศ

Word by Word

• महाकालम्: (the place/name) Mahākāla
• महाकालम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल (प्रातिपदिक; महा + काल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; Proper noun used as name

• इति: thus, as (called)
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ख्यातम्: known, famed
• ख्यातम्: Kriya (क्रिया/participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicative with tīrtham

• तीर्थम्: a sacred ford/pilgrimage place
• तीर्थम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम्: renowned in the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रैलोक्य + विश्रुत (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि-लोक्य + वि-श्रुत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण of तीर्थम्

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• प्राणान्: life-breaths, vital airs
• प्राणान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned
• परित्यज्य: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-त्यज् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• गाणपत्यम्: the status/realm of Gaṇapati
• गाणपत्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाणपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; state/realm of Gaṇapati

• अवाप्नुयात्: would attain
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing in a tīrtha-māhātmya context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Tīrtha
• Gaṇapati (Gaṇeśa)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

Indirectly: it frames death at a sanctified tīrtha as a spiritually charged transition, implying that the end of prāṇa can become a yogic “departure” aligned with divine order, rather than mere physical cessation.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes tīrtha-sevā and intentional end-of-life renunciation (prāṇa-parityāga) at a holy place—an ascetic ideal that complements Kurma Purana disciplines (niyama, devotion, and ritual purity), even when not detailing formal āsana/prāṇāyāma.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

By venerating “Mahākāla” (a strongly Śaiva epithet) within a Kūrma (Viṣṇu) discourse and promising a Gaṇapatya attainment, it reflects the Purāṇa’s integrative theology—multiple deities and their realms function within one dharmic-cosmic framework.