Shloka 85
Tīrtha-Māhātmya Sequence: Sacred Fords, Baths, Gifts, and Śrāddha
Narmadā-Belt Itinerary
यत्र स्नात्वा तु राजेंद्र सर्वसंपदमाप्नुयात् । ततः पश्चिमतो गच्छेन्मरुतालयमुत्तमम्
yatra snātvā tu rājeṃdra sarvasaṃpadamāpnuyāt | tataḥ paścimato gacchenmarutālayamuttamam
أيها الملك، من اغتسل في ذلك الموضع نال كلَّ رخاء. ثم يمضي غربًا إلى مسكن ماروت (Marut) الفاضل.
Unspecified narrator addressing a king (rājendra) within the Svarga-khaṇḍa pilgrimage context
Concept: Snana at a properly praised tirtha becomes a dharmic means to prosperity and auspiciousness, and pilgrimage is undertaken as a disciplined sequence (krama-yatra).
Application: Approach sacred acts with order and intention: purify oneself, follow a planned route, and treat ‘prosperity’ as the fruit of disciplined dharma rather than anxiety-driven striving.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal pilgrim-king stands at the edge of a luminous tirtha, hands joined, as priests indicate the western path with a staff. In the distance, the ‘abode of Marut’ appears as a wind-swept celestial pavilion with fluttering banners and swirling clouds, suggesting the subtle presence of Vāyu.","primary_figures":["pilgrim-king (rājendra)","tirtha-priest/ācārya","personified Vāyu/Marut (subtle, in clouds)"],"setting":"riverbank/ghāṭa with stone steps, wayfinding shrine markers, distant western horizon with a cloud-temple","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["saffron gold","river-jade green","cloud-pearl white","indigo horizon","vermillion accents"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a crowned rājendra at a stepped ghāṭa offering añjali after snāna, priests pointing west; a distant Marutālaya as a cloud-temple with gold leaf halos and swirling wind motifs, rich reds and greens, heavy gold leaf embellishment, gem-studded ornaments, traditional South Indian iconography and ornate borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate riverbank scene with the king and a sage-guide, slender trees and soft clouds; the western sky opens into a lyrical wind-palace, cool blues and greens, refined faces, fine linework, Himalayan-like atmospheric depth and gentle gradients.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, the king at the ghāṭa with stylized waves; Marut suggested as a divine figure within spiraling cloud forms, temple-wall aesthetic, large expressive eyes, natural pigments dominated by red/yellow/green with gold-like highlights.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a sacred waterbody framed by intricate floral borders and lotus motifs; the pilgrim-king at the center, westward banners and peacocks animated by wind, deep blues and gold, dense ornamentation, devotional symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["flowing water","temple bells","conch shell (soft)","wind through flags"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सर्वसंपदमाप्नुयात् = सर्वसंपदम् + आप्नुयात्; गच्छेन्मरुतालयम् = गच्छेत् + मरुतालयम्; मरुतालयमुत्तमम् = मरुतालयम् + उत्तमम्.
FAQs
It frames pilgrimage as a sequence of locations: after bathing at one sacred site, the pilgrim is instructed to move westward to another—Marutālayam—showing an itinerary-like mapping of holy places.
By presenting worship through embodied practice—pilgrimage and sacred bathing—followed by going to a deity’s abode (Marut), it highlights devotional action (karma infused with reverence) as a means to divine favor and well-being.
Prosperity is linked to disciplined sacred conduct: respectful observance of tīrtha-bathing and purposeful movement to holy sites, implying that ordered, reverent practice supports both spiritual and worldly flourishing.