Shloka 3

Prayaga-mahatmya

Glory of Prayaga and the Magha Bath at Triveni

Devanagari script

तस्माच्छतगुणा प्रोक्ता काश्यामुत्तरवाहिनी । काश्याः शतगुणा प्रोक्ता गंगा यत्रार्कजान्विता ॥ ३ ॥

Transliteration

tasmācchataguṇā proktā kāśyāmuttaravāhinī | kāśyāḥ śataguṇā proktā gaṃgā yatrārkajānvitā || 3 ||

Translation

پس کاشی میں شمال کی طرف بہنے والی دھارا کو سو گنا ثواب بخش کہا گیا ہے۔ اور جہاں گنگا سورج سے پیدا ہونے والی ندی کے ساتھ ملتی ہے، وہاں کی گنگا کاشی سے بھی سو گنا برتر قرار دی گئی ہے۔

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna-सूचक (हेतु/अपादान-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), तस्मात् = Ablatival adverbial usage ‘therefore/from that’ (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः)

• शत-गुणा: hundredfold
• शत-गुणा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम्—‘hundredfold’ (शतगुणा)

• प्रोक्ता: is declared/said
• प्रोक्ता: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past Passive Participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is said/declared’

• काश्याम्: in Kāśī
• काश्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरणम्—‘in Kāśī’

• उत्तर-वाहिनी: the north-flowing (river)
• उत्तर-वाहिनी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक) + वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘north-flowing (river)’

• काश्याः: of Kāśī (than Kāśī)
• काश्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धः—‘of Kāśī/than Kāśī’ (genitive of relation/comparison)

• शत-गुणा: hundredfold
• शत-गुणा: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्—‘hundredfold’

• प्रोक्ता: is declared
• प्रोक्ता: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘is said’

• गंगा: Gaṅgā
• गंगा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गङ्गा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्ता—‘Gaṅgā’

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikaraṇa-सूचक (अधिकरण-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सम्बन्ध-क्रियाविशेषण (relative adverb) ‘where’

• अर्कजा-अन्विता: accompanied by Arkajā (Yamunā)
• अर्कजा-अन्विता: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्कजा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्—‘accompanied by Arkajā (Yamunā)’

Speaker

Narada (in a tīrtha-māhātmya discourse context)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Kashi (Varanasi)
• Ganga
• Arkajā (Sūryajā river; river born of the Sun)

FAQs

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

It ranks pilgrimage merit: the uttaravāhinī (north-flowing) Gaṅgā at Kāśī is praised as exceptionally potent, and the Gaṅgā at the place where she meets the Sun-born river (Arkajā/Sūryajā) is praised as even more spiritually efficacious—highlighting tīrtha as a concentrated field of puṇya and purification.

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

Though it speaks in the language of tīrtha-merit, its devotional thrust is to direct the devotee toward sacred spaces associated with intense remembrance and worship—where snāna, japa, and pūjā to the Divine (especially Hari/Śiva in Kāśī contexts) are traditionally performed with heightened bhakti and faith.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects applied sacred geography and ritual practice: identifying a specific river-current (uttaravāhinī) and a confluence (saṅgama) as ritually significant for snāna and related observances—knowledge used in dharma-śāstra style tīrtha-yātrā planning rather than technical Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa instruction.