Shloka 3

Puruṣottama-kṣetra Māhātmya: Śveta-Mādhava & Matsya-Mādhava; Mārkaṇḍeya-tīrtha Mārjana and Bath Liturgy

Devanagari script

श्वेतगंगां नरः स्नात्वा यः पश्येच्छ्वतमाधवम् । मत्स्याख्यं माधवं चैव श्वेतद्वीपं स गच्छति ॥ ३ ॥

Transliteration

śvetagaṃgāṃ naraḥ snātvā yaḥ paśyecchvatamādhavam | matsyākhyaṃ mādhavaṃ caiva śvetadvīpaṃ sa gacchati || 3 ||

Translation

Ang sinumang maligo sa Śvetagaṅgā at masilayan si Śvetamādhava—at gayundin si Mādhava na tinatawag na Matsya—ay makararating sa Śvetadvīpa.

Word by Word

• श्वेत-गङ्गाम्: the Śvetagaṅgā (river)
• श्वेत-गङ्गाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक) + गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः: श्वेता गङ्गा (the ‘White Ganges’)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्नात्वा: having bathed
• स्नात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययवत्; ‘having bathed’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• पश्येत्: should see; sees
• पश्येत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• श्वेत-माधवम्: Śveta-Mādhava
• श्वेत-माधवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक) + माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: श्वेतः माधवः (Śveta-Mādhava, a form of Viṣṇu)

• मत्स्य-आख्यम्: named Matsya
• मत्स्य-आख्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: मत्स्य इति आख्यः (named ‘Matsya’)

• माधवम्: Mādhava
• माधवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• एव: indeed; certainly
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण/निश्चयार्थक (emphatic particle)

• श्वेत-द्वीपम्: Śvetadvīpa (the White Island)
• श्वेत-द्वीपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: श्वेतः द्वीपः

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"bhakti","secondary_rasa":"adbhuta","emotional_journey":"A ritual act (snāna) opens into revelatory darśana, culminating in a wondrous promised destination—Śvetadvīpa."}

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Madhava
• Matsya (Vishnu Avatar)
• Śvetagaṅgā
• Śvetadvīpa

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It teaches that tīrtha-snāna (sacred bathing) combined with Viṣṇu-darśana (beholding the deity) is a direct means to attain a transcendent Viṣṇu realm—here named Śvetadvīpa—highlighting pilgrimage as a bhakti-centered path to liberation.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

Bhakti is expressed through embodied devotion: bathing in the holy river as purification and then darśana of Mādhava (including the Matsya-named form). The promised fruit (Śvetadvīpa) frames devotion as loving approach to Viṣṇu through worship and pilgrimage.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual practice (kalpa-oriented conduct) is implicit: performing snāna at a prescribed tīrtha and undertaking deity-darśana as a regulated observance within tīrtha-yātrā traditions, emphasizing correct religious procedure rather than a technical grammar/astrology lesson.