Shloka 31
Prayaga-mahatmya
Glory of Prayaga and the Magha Bath at Triveni
नैमिषे विष्णुसारूप्यं पुष्करे ब्रह्मणेंऽतिकम् । आखंडलस्य लोको हि कुरुक्षेत्रे च माघतः ॥ ३१ ॥
naimiṣe viṣṇusārūpyaṃ puṣkare brahmaṇeṃ'tikam | ākhaṃḍalasya loko hi kurukṣetre ca māghataḥ || 31 ||
Sa Naimiṣa, natatamo ang pagkakahawig kay Viṣṇu; sa Puṣkara, natatamo ang paglapit kay Brahmā. Tunay nga, sa Kurukṣetra—sa bisa ng kabutihang-loob ng buwang Māgha—natatamo ang daigdig ni Ākhaṇḍala (Indra).
Narada (in dialogue context with Sanatkumara tradition; Uttara-Bhaga tirtha narration)
Vrata: Māgha-snāna / Māgha-māsa-vrata (implied by ‘māghataḥ’)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It ranks major tīrthas by the distinct spiritual “fruits” they confer—Vişṇu-sārūpya at Naimiṣa, Brahmā-sānnidhya at Puṣkara, and Indra-loka at Kurukṣetra—showing that pilgrimage and seasonal vows (like Māgha) are purposeful sādhanas with specific outcomes.
By presenting Viṣṇu-sārūpya at Naimiṣa as a fruit, it implies that Viṣṇu-centered devotion and tīrtha-sevā can mature into intimate communion with the Lord—expressed here as “likeness to Viṣṇu,” a classical bhakti-oriented liberation ideal.
The verse points to kāla (sacred time) as a practical ritual factor—specifically the Māgha month—aligning with Jyotiṣa/kalā-viveka usage in vrata practice: choosing auspicious months for snāna, dāna, and tīrtha-yātrā to amplify merit.