Shloka 50
The Episode of Cyavana
Cyavana’s Hermitage and the Power of Tapas
तत्र स्नात्वा महानद्यां संतर्प्य पितृदेवताः । दानानि ब्राह्मणेभ्यश्च प्रादाद्विष्णुप्रतुष्टये
tatra snātvā mahānadyāṃ saṃtarpya pitṛdevatāḥ | dānāni brāhmaṇebhyaśca prādādviṣṇupratuṣṭaye
وهناك اغتسل في النهر العظيم وأرضى آلهة الأسلاف بالقرابين، ثم قدّم العطايا للبراهمة ابتغاءَ رضا فيشنو.
Narrator (contextual speaker not specified in the provided excerpt)
Concept: Ritual action (snāna, tarpaṇa, dāna) becomes spiritually potent when performed as an offering for Viṣṇu’s satisfaction rather than for mere social merit.
Application: When doing charity or family rites, set a clear devotional intention—offer the fruit to Viṣṇu, keep purity, and give respectfully to worthy recipients.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At the broad ghāṭa of the Revā, Manu emerges from the river, water streaming from his garments as priests chant softly. He performs pitṛ-tarpaṇa with cupped hands, sesame and water falling in shimmering arcs, then turns to offer generous gifts to Brahmins—cloth, gold, and food—his gaze lifted in inward dedication to Viṣṇu.","primary_figures":["Manu","Brahmin priests","ancestral presence (subtle, ethereal)","Viṣṇu (symbolic presence via śālagrāma/flag/halo)"],"setting":"stone ghāṭa steps on Narmadā, offering trays with tila, darbha grass, water pots, donation bundles, distant temple spire","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lapis blue","sandstone beige","ghee-lamp gold","white cotton","til-seed black"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Manu at the Narmadā ghāṭa performing tarpaṇa, gold-leaf river highlights, Brahmins receiving dāna with ornate vessels, a small Viṣṇu emblem (śālagrāma on pedestal) radiating a gilded aura, rich crimson-green textiles, embossed gold borders and jewelry details.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate riverside ritual scene with fine linework—cupped hands releasing water and sesame, Brahmins seated with donation cloth, cool river tones, gentle dawn haze, refined facial expressions conveying devotion and restraint.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized ghāṭa and river bands, Manu in warm ochres, priests in white with bold outlines, ritual implements clearly iconified, a circular yellow aura motif indicating Viṣṇu-prīti, decorative temple-wall border patterns.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central river with lotus motifs, Manu and priests arranged symmetrically, ornate floral borders, deep blue background with gold accents, small śālagrāma/Viṣṇu symbol at center-top, intricate textile patterning on donation cloth bundles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing water","low Vedic chanting","temple bells","conch shell at intervals"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सम्+तर्प्य→संतर्प्य (अनुस्वार); ब्राह्मणेभ्यः+च→ब्राह्मणेभ्यश्च; प्रादात्+विष्णुप्रतुष्टये→प्रादाद्विष्णुप्रतुष्टये
FAQs
The verse highlights three linked practices: bathing in a sacred river (snāna), satisfying the ancestors through offerings (pitṛ-tarpaṇa), and giving charity to Brahmins (dāna), all directed toward pleasing Viṣṇu.
It frames pitṛ-tarpaṇa and dāna not merely as social or ritual duties but as actions performed with the devotional intention of pleasing Viṣṇu (viṣṇu-pratuṣṭaye), integrating Vedic rites into a Vaiṣṇava devotional goal.
It teaches that purity (through bathing), gratitude and responsibility toward one’s lineage (through honoring the Pitṛs), and generosity (through dāna) together form an ethical-religious discipline when done with a God-centered intention.