Shloka 42

Prayaga-mahatmya

Glory of Prayaga and the Magha Bath at Triveni

Devanagari script

चतुर्वेदिषु यत्पुण्यं सत्यवादिषु चैव हि । स्नात एव तदाप्नोति गंगाकालिंदिसंगमे ॥ ४२ ॥

Transliteration

caturvediṣu yatpuṇyaṃ satyavādiṣu caiva hi | snāta eva tadāpnoti gaṃgākāliṃdisaṃgame || 42 ||

Translation

Công đức nào có nơi những bậc thông đạt bốn bộ Veda, và cũng nơi những người giữ lòng chân thật—công đức ấy, người ta đạt được chỉ bằng việc tắm gội tại nơi hợp lưu của sông Gaṅgā và Kālintī (Yamunā).

Word by Word

• catur-vediṣu: among knowers of the four Vedas
• catur-vediṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: catur-vedin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: ‘caturṇāṃ vedānāṃ vedi (jñātā)’; Puṃliṅga, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural

• yat: whatever/that which
• yat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative/Accusative Singular; relative pronoun qualifying ‘puṇyam’

• puṇyam: merit
• puṇyam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• satyavādiṣu: among truth-speakers
• satyavādiṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Domain)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satyavādin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic particle (अवधारण)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (निश्चय/हेतु)

• snātaḥ: one who has bathed
• snātaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √snā (धातु)
• Form: Past active participle (क्त), Puṃliṅga, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; used substantively ‘one who has bathed’

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic particle

• tat: that (merit)
• tat: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; correlative pronoun referring to ‘yat puṇyam’

• āpnoti: attains
• āpnoti: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (present), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• gaṃgā-kāliṃdi-saṃgame: at the confluence of Gaṅgā and Kāliṃdī (Yamunā)
• gaṃgā-kāliṃdi-saṃgame: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Place)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaṃgā (प्रातिपदिक) + kāliṃdī (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: ‘gaṃgāyāḥ kāliṃdyāḥ ca saṃgame’; Puṃliṅga, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

Speaker

Narada

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Ganga
• Kalindi (Yamuna)

FAQs

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

It declares the extraordinary sanctity (māhātmya) of the Gaṅgā–Yamunā confluence: a single bath there is said to confer merit comparable to that associated with eminent Vedic learning and unwavering truthfulness.

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

Though it speaks in the language of merit, it supports bhakti-oriented pilgrimage by emphasizing humble, faith-filled sacred practice (tīrtha-snānā) as an accessible means of spiritual uplift, not limited to scholarly attainment.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

Ritual practice (kalpa) is implied: tīrtha-snānā at a sangama is presented as a dhārmic rite with defined spiritual फल (phala), reinforcing the Purāṇic framework of pilgrimage observances.