Shloka 33

Prahlada's Tirtha Circuit — Prahlada’s Pilgrimage Circuit: Tirtha-Mahatmya from Naimisha to Rudrakoti and Shalagrama

Devanagari script

तेषु त्रिष्वपि तीर्थेषु स्नात्वार्ऽच्य पितृदेवताः पुष्कराक्षमयोगन्धि ब्रह्माणं चाप्यपूजयत्

Transliteration

teṣu triṣvapi tīrtheṣu snātvār'cya pitṛdevatāḥ puṣkarākṣamayogandhi brahmāṇaṃ cāpyapūjayat

Translation

Having bathed in all three of those tīrthas, and having worshipped the deities of the ancestors (Pitṛs), he also worshipped Brahmā—(Brahmā) whose eyes are like lotuses (puṣkara) and whose fragrance is of a divine, subtle kind.

Speakers

• Narrator continuing the pilgrimage account

Primary Deities

• Brahma
• Pitrs (ancestral deities)

Key Themes

• Tri-tīrtha bathing regimen
• Pitṛ-tarpaṇa / ancestral rites at tīrthas
• Brahmā worship at Puṣkara
• Merit through snāna and arcana

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

What are the ‘three tīrthas’ referred to here?

The verse presumes a known Puṣkara triad—multiple bathing stations within the Puṣkara sacred region. Even when not individually named, Purāṇic geography often organizes a major kṣetra into a set of principal tīrthas (triads, pentads, etc.) that structure the pilgrim’s ritual sequence.

Why are Pitṛs worshipped in a Puṣkara bathing sequence?

Tīrthas are classic venues for pitṛ-kārya (tarpaṇa/śrāddha-related offerings). Bathing (snāna) purifies the performer, and the tīrtha’s sanctity is believed to transmit offerings effectively to the ancestral realm, thereby integrating personal lineage-duty with pilgrimage merit.

Is ‘puṣkarākṣa’ normally a Viṣṇu epithet—why is it used with Brahmā here?

While ‘Puṣkarākṣa’ is widely used for Viṣṇu, lotus imagery is also intrinsic to Brahmā (born on/associated with the lotus). In a Puṣkara-centered passage, lotus-epithets naturally cluster around Brahmā; the verse leverages shared divine iconography to heighten Brahmā’s auspiciousness in this locale.