Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 14
Glory of Guru-tīrtha and the Kubjā Confluence: How Festival Bathing Removes Grave Sin
कृष्णत्वं नैव गच्छेत तेषां पापेन चागतम् । सुतीर्थेषु महाराज स्नाताः सर्वेषु वै पुनः
kṛṣṇatvaṃ naiva gaccheta teṣāṃ pāpena cāgatam | sutīrtheṣu mahārāja snātāḥ sarveṣu vai punaḥ
يا أيها الملك العظيم، إنّ تلك اللطخةَ الداكنة التي جلبها إثمُهم لن تلحق به أبدًا؛ لأنه قد اغتسل من جديد في جميع التيرثات الفاضلة.
Unspecified narrator addressing a king (Mahārāja) (likely within a frame dialogue such as Pulastya → Bhīṣma, but not determinable from this single verse alone).
Concept: Sin’s ‘stain’ does not adhere when one repeatedly bathes in excellent tīrthas with proper intent; purification interrupts karmic accretion.
Application: When guilt or moral lapse arises, combine repentance with concrete purification practices: sacred bathing (or symbolic bath), charity, and renewed discipline.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage-narrator addresses a seated mahārāja on a river ghat, pointing toward a luminous chain of tīrthas receding into mist. Dark ink-like shadows (symbolizing pāpa) peel away from a pilgrim’s aura as he steps into the water, while swans glide nearby as omens of purity.","primary_figures":["mahārāja (listener)","sage narrator","pilgrim at snāna","swans (symbolic)"],"setting":"Stone ghat with brass lamps, banyan tree, distant temples and flags, calm river with lotus clusters.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["warm saffron","river-teal","stone gray","lamp-gold","ink-black accents"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: sage and king in frontal, iconic composition on a ghat; gold leaf on lamps, halos, and river ripples; rich maroon and emerald textiles; stylized swans and conch motifs; ornate arch framing the tīrtha vista with gem-like highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate dialogue scene under a banyan; soft dawn gradient, delicate facial expressions, fine textile patterns; river rendered with thin white highlights; distant tīrtha shrines in atmospheric perspective.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines of sage and king, rhythmic ghat steps, stylized water bands; strong red/yellow/green palette; symbolic black ‘pāpa’ cloud dissolving into the river; decorative floral borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central snāna scene framed by lotus borders; swans and peacocks at corners; deep blue water with gold lotuses; a subtle shankha-chakra emblem above, indicating Vishnu’s purifying presence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["flowing water","soft temple bells","morning birds","gentle conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: न + एव → नैव; च + आगतम् → चागतम्.
FAQs
It states that the “dark stain” (kṛṣṇatva) arising from sin does not come upon the person, because bathing in excellent sacred places is presented as a means of purification.
Here kṛṣṇatva literally means “blackness,” used figuratively as a moral/spiritual stain or taint produced by sin (pāpa).
The verse reinforces a governance-and-conduct ethic: avoid association with others’ sin, and pursue purification and restraint—symbolized here by repeated sacred bathing and correction of one’s state.