Shloka 116
Tīrtha-Māhātmya Sequence: Sacred Fords, Baths, Gifts, and Śrāddha
Narmadā-Belt Itinerary
अनिवर्तिका गतिस्तस्य मृतस्याप्यर्द्धयोजने । त्रैयंबकेण तोयेन स्नापयेन्नरपुंगवः
anivartikā gatistasya mṛtasyāpyarddhayojane | traiyaṃbakeṇa toyena snāpayennarapuṃgavaḥ
ولو مات ضمن نصف يوجنة، صارت مسيرته إلى ما بعد الموت غير قابلة للرجوع. وعلى خيار الرجال أن يغسّل الجسد بماء تريامباكا.
Unspecified (narrative instruction within Svarga-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Proximity to a powerful tīrtha transforms the destiny of the departed; sacred water functions as a vehicle of grace that stabilizes the soul’s onward journey.
Application: Treat sacred places and their waters with reverence; for end-of-life rites, prioritize purity, prayer, and sanctioned waters/rituals rather than panic—support the dying with mantra, calmness, and dharmic conduct.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A solemn procession reaches the Tryambaka tīrtha: attendants hold a copper kalaśa filled with cool, shimmering water, while a revered elder lies peacefully, garlanded, near the river’s edge. The water is poured in a final bath, and the air feels charged—half grief, half wonder—as if the boundary between worlds has thinned within the sacred radius.","primary_figures":["the departed (or dying) person","a ‘narapuṅgava’ (best of men) performing the rite","priests with darbha and kalaśa","subtle guardian deities of the tīrtha"],"setting":"Godāvarī-source landscape near Trimbakeśvara: stone ghāṭa, forested hills, and a distant temple silhouette","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["pale turquoise","copper bronze","ash white","marigold yellow","deep forest green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Tryambaka tīrtha with a gleaming kalaśa of sacred water, priests in crisp white, the departed on a decorated bier near the ghāṭa, distant temple with gold leaf highlights; ornate borders, rich reds/greens, gold leaf radiance around the water stream and shrine, jewel-like detailing on vessels and ornaments.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tranquil Himalayan-like hill contours adapted to the Sahyadri setting, delicate ripples in the sacred water, tender expressions of mourners, soft dawn gradient sky, refined linework on ritual grass and cloth patterns.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized figures with bold outlines; the sacred water rendered as patterned bands, the temple and hills as decorative panels; strong reds/yellows/greens, ritual gestures emphasized, divine aura around the kalaśa.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central motif of a sacred water stream descending into a lotus-filled kund, ornate floral borders, peacocks and cows at the periphery, śaṅkha-cakra motifs subtly woven into textiles; deep blues with gold accents to suggest transcendent passage."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["flowing water","low conch note","soft weeping hush","mantra chanting","wind through trees"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गतिस्तस्य = गतिः तस्य; मृतस्यापि = मृतस्य अपि; अर्द्धयोजने (अर्द्ध + योजन) समास; स्नापयेन्नरपुंगवः = स्नापयेत् नरपुंगवः (त् + न् → न्न्)
FAQs
It states that if death occurs within a defined sacred radius (half a yojana), the deceased gains an ‘irreversible’ onward spiritual course—implying assured auspicious progress rather than relapse into lower states.
Tryambaka is a Śiva-associated tīrtha; bathing the body with its water functions as a purificatory funeral rite, marking the deceased with the sanctity and merit of that sacred site.
The verse urges responsible caretaking: an exemplary person should perform proper purification rites for the dead, especially using sanctified water when available, linking devotion with duty (dharma).