Dāna-vrata and the Tīrtha Circuit of Venkaṭādri
Snāna, Mantra, Naivedya
पुनः परदिने प्राप्ते शक्रतीर्थमनुत्तमम् / कपिलाख्योर्ध्वदेशे तु तत्तीर्थं पावनं स्मृतम्
punaḥ paradine prāpte śakratīrthamanuttamam / kapilākhyordhvadeśe tu tattīrthaṃ pāvanaṃ smṛtam
随后到了次日,(行者)来到无与伦比的圣渡处,名为“释迦罗圣地”(Śakra-tīrtha);而在名为“迦毗罗”(Kapilā)的上方地域,此圣地被铭记为能净化身心。
Lord Vishnu (narrating to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Tīrtha-sevana (visiting sacred fords) as a purificatory karma that supports spiritual progress.
Vedantic Theme: External purification as an aid to inner purification; śraddhā and saṅkalpa make karma spiritually efficacious.
Application: Undertake pilgrimages or local sacred visits with ethical preparation (restraint, truthfulness), treating them as opportunities for self-purification.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tīrtha (sacred ford)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 3.27 (sequence of tīrthas: Svāmipuṣkariṇī → Śakra-tīrtha → further lakes/weapon-tīrthas)
This verse identifies Śakra-tīrtha as an “unsurpassed” sacred ford and explicitly calls it purifying, indicating high spiritual merit associated with visiting or remembering it.
Rather than describing punishments or afterlife travel, the verse emphasizes sacred geography—progress marked by reaching a tīrtha that purifies—framing spiritual advancement through contact with holy places and their sanctifying power.
Treat pilgrimage and sacred-site remembrance as disciplines of purification: approach tīrthas with restraint, prayer, and ethical conduct, using the visit as a reset toward dharma rather than mere travel.