Shloka 21
Puruṣottama-māhātmya
The Greatness of Puruṣottama Kṣetra
मनुष्याणां यथा राजा धेनूनां कामधुग्यथा । सुवर्णं सर्वधातूनां सर्पाणां वासुकिर्यथा ॥ २१ ॥
manuṣyāṇāṃ yathā rājā dhenūnāṃ kāmadhugyathā | suvarṇaṃ sarvadhātūnāṃ sarpāṇāṃ vāsukiryathā || 21 ||
Kung paanong ang hari ang pinakapanguna sa mga tao, ang Kāmadhenu (bakang tumutupad ng hiling) sa mga baka, ang ginto sa lahat ng metal, at si Vāsuki sa mga ahas—gayon din, (siya) ay ipinahahayag na pinakadakila.
Narada (within the Narada–Sanatkumara dialogue frame; Uttara-Bhaga narrative style)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It uses well-known “best-of-its-kind” examples (king, Kāmadhenu, gold, Vāsuki) to mark something in the surrounding discourse as supreme—typical of tirtha-mahātmya passages that elevate a sacred place, vow, or object as uniquely efficacious for dharma and merit.
By training the mind to recognize and honor the highest (śreṣṭhatva), it supports bhakti’s core movement: choosing the supreme refuge and offering focused reverence rather than scattered attention—an attitude that culminates in single-pointed devotion to the Lord and His sacred supports (tirthas, vratas, kṣetras).
The verse primarily showcases alaṅkāra/nyāya-style comparison (upamā) used in śāstric exposition; it is not a technical Vedāṅga instruction (like vyākaraṇa or jyotiṣa), but it reflects the didactic method of establishing precedence through authoritative exemplars.