Shloka 31

Narmadā Pilgrimage Itinerary: Sequence of Tīrthas, Rites, and Fruits

Devanagari script

ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र अटवीतीर्थमुत्तमम् । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्निंद्रस्यार्द्धासनंलभेत्

Transliteration

tato gaccheta rājeṃdra aṭavītīrthamuttamam | tatra snātvā naro rājanniṃdrasyārddhāsanaṃlabhet

Translation

Rồi, hỡi bậc vua chúa tối thượng, hãy đến thánh địa thù thắng mang tên Aṭavī-tīrtha. Tắm gội tại đó, hỡi đại vương, người ấy đạt được một nửa phần của ngai Indra.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण) (temporal locus)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण) of sequence: "thereafter"

• gacchet: should go
• gacchet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: Verb; विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• rājendra: O king of kings
• rājendra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan + indra (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): rājñām indraḥ

• aṭavī-tīrtham: the forest sacred ford (tīrtha)
• aṭavī-tīrtham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṭavī + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): aṭavyāḥ tīrtham

• uttamam: excellent, best
• uttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; superlative adjective qualifying tīrtham

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण) (spatial locus)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण): "there"

• snātvā: having bathed
• snātvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta; त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund, ल्यप्): "having bathed"; expresses prior action

• naraḥ: a man
• naraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन

• indrasya: of Indra
• indrasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध) (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• ardha-āsanam: half the seat (a share of the throne)
• ardha-āsanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ardha + āsana (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: ardham eva āsanam

• labhet: would obtain
• labhet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: labh (धातु)
• Form: Verb; विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (narratorial instruction within a tīrtha-māhātmya section)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: tato (IAST) = tataḥ; aṭavītīrthamuttamam = aṭavī-tīrtham uttamam; rājanniṃdrasya = rājan indrasya; ārddhāsanaṃlabhet = ardha-āsanam labhet

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Aṭavī-tīrtha

FAQs

What does this verse say is gained by bathing at Aṭavī-tīrtha?

It states that by bathing (snāna) at the excellent Aṭavī-tīrtha, a person attains ārdhāsana—interpreted as a half-share of Indra’s seat, i.e., Indra-like heavenly status or sovereignty.

What is the theological emphasis of this verse in the Svarga-khaṇḍa context?

It presents a typical tīrtha-māhātmya “phala-śruti,” emphasizing that pilgrimage and ritual bathing at a sacred site yields exalted heavenly rewards associated with Indra and Svarga.

What ethical or practical lesson is implied?

The verse encourages disciplined sacred travel and purification through snāna, suggesting that sincere engagement with dharmic observances at revered tīrthas leads to elevated spiritual merit and auspicious results.