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अस्यां भवन्तमभितः स्थितदुग्धसिन्धौ मध्ये त्रयीमयमहारवमण्डलस्य ।
पश्यन्नधःकृतचतुर्मुखविष्टपायां धामत्रयेऽपि कुतुकं विजहाति विद्वान् ॥
T: Surrounding the Lord in this Kāñcī city flows the Vegavatī river resembling the Milky Ocean. The solemn rumble of Vedic chants suffuses this city. By its sacredness, Kāñcī surpasses and pushes down Brahma Loka (a higher heaven) in grandeur. Therefore, a truly learned man, making a comparison to Kāñcī, does not seek to reach any of the three divine abodes of Viṣṇu (usually sought after by seekers), viz. Śvetadvīpa, Sūryamaṇḍala and even Paramapada!
Explanation: Three abodes called Dhāmas of the Lord (Viṣṇu) are extolled by the Purāṇas. The first among them is Śvetadvīpa, situated in the middle of the Milky Ocean. In Kūrma Purāṇa, it is stated:
शाकद्वीपं समावृत्त्य क्षीरोदः सागरः स्थितः। श्वेतद्वीपश्च तन्मध्ये नारायणसमाश्रयः ॥
T: Encompassing Śākadvīpa is the Milky Ocean. There in its centre lies Śvetadvīpa, the abode of Lord Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu).
The second abode of the Lord is the orb of the sun. स एषोऽन्तरादित्ये हिरण्महयः पुरुषो दृश्यते states the Veda (the Lord resides as the golden core in the middle of the sun). Even in the Purāṇas, we see
ध्येयः सदा सवितृमण्डलमध्यवर्ती नारायणः सरसिजासनसंनिविष्ठः ।
केयूरवान् मकरकुण्डलवान् किरीटी हारी हिरण्मयपवपुः धृतशङ्खचक्रः ॥
T: We should meditate on Lord Nārāyaṇa always situated in the core of the sun, seated on a beautiful lotus, wearing divine ornaments on His arms and in His ears, with a splendid crown, with a golden form, wearing a lovely garland, holding Śaṅkha and Cakra.
The third abode of the Lord is situated above Brahma's own abode and is called Paramapada.
The poet states that Kāñcī exhibits the attributes of all the three abodes. Vegavatī (called Vaigai in Tamil) is akin to the Milky Ocean. On the other side of Kāñcī is the river Skāndī. The region in between is called Antarvedī. The Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa avers that Kāñcī thus situated is equivalent to Śvetadvīpa.
अस्ति वासिष्ठकोक्षीरधाराकृतमहापगा । क्षीरापगेति विख्याता नाम्ना तेन जगत्त्रये ॥
त्स्या दक्षिणतः काञ्च्या नातिदूरे तरङ्गिणी । स्कान्दाभिषेकसम्भूता स्कान्दीति प्रथितापगा ॥
अन्तरालं तयोर्मध्यमन्तर्वेदीति विश्रुतम् । काञ्चीस्थानमिदं विद्धि ख्यातं द्वादशनामभिः ॥
T: The content of this shloka is exactly as stated before.
Thus the poet avers that there is no need to set sights on Śvetadvīpa after seeing Kāñcī.
The attributes of the sun orb are also seen in Kāñcī. Sūrya is called Trayīta. Trayī refers to the Veda Triumvirate, Ṛk-Yajur-Sāma. The three Vedas are stated in Śāstrās to form the body of the sun. Since Kāñcī resonates with the chants of the three Vedas, Kāñcī is the same as the orb of the sun. Thus the Lord's second abode, viz., Sūryamaṇḍala, is also here!
The abode of Varadarāja in Kāñcī excels Brahmaloka. Thus Paramapada is also found here. Thus, a Darshan of the Lord in Kāñcī is good enough in all respects as it confers all fulfilment. Thus, unsurprisingly, those devotees blessed to visit Kāñcī will no longer hanker after the three celebrated abodes of the Lord. That lack of interest in those abodes is emphasised here in the figure of speech called अतिशयोक्ति or hyperbole to extol the extreme glory of Kāñcī.
