Shloka 55
Pilgrimage Sequence on Sacred Fords (Narmadā Region): Bhṛgu-tīrtha, Śiva-vratas, and Merit Amplification
तीर्थस्नानं तु यद्दानमक्षयं तस्य तद्भवेत् । चंद्रसूर्योपरागेषु वृषोत्सर्गमनुत्तमम्
tīrthasnānaṃ tu yaddānamakṣayaṃ tasya tadbhavet | caṃdrasūryoparāgeṣu vṛṣotsargamanuttamam
كلُّ عطيةٍ تُقدَّم بعد الاغتسال في تيرثا مقدّسة يكون ثوابها غيرَ نافد. وفي خسوف القمر أو كسوف الشمس يُعَدُّ إطلاقُ الثور هبةً (فريشوتسارغا) عملاً لا نظير له.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Svarga-khaṇḍa narration)
Concept: Merit becomes inexhaustible when dāna is yoked to tīrtha-snana and performed at cosmically potent times (eclipses).
Application: When giving charity, pair it with inner/outer purification (bath, prayer, restraint) and choose spiritually significant times; give responsibly (support cows, dharma, food, medicine) with humility.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On a riverbank tīrtha at the moment of eclipse, pilgrims emerge from sacred waters with wet hair and folded palms, then place gifts into the hands of brahmins and the needy. Nearby, a richly adorned bull is ceremonially released—garlanded, horn-tipped with gold, its hooves touching the sand as the eclipsed sun/moon glows like a darkened jewel behind thin clouds.","primary_figures":["pilgrims","brahmin recipients","a consecrated bull (vṛṣa)","tīrtha-deities as subtle presences"],"setting":"broad river ghat with stone steps, banyan and peepal trees, small shrine with lamps, eclipse sky overhead","lighting_mood":"eerie eclipse twilight with ritual lamp-glow","color_palette":["smoky indigo","lamp-flame amber","river-silver","saffron ochre","gold leaf"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: eclipse-time river ghat with devotees performing tīrtha-snana and offering dāna, a garlanded bull being released as vṛṣotsarga; heavy gold leaf halo effects around lamps and shrine icons, rich vermilion and emerald textiles, gem-studded ornaments on donors, ornate arch framing the ghat, sacred austerity expressed through symmetrical composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical riverside scene under a softened eclipse sky, delicate figures in profile offering gifts after bathing, a gentle bull stepping forward with flower garlands; cool blues and greys for the sky, fine linework for rippling water, distant hills and trees, refined facial features and quiet devotional gestures.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined devotees at a ghat, stylized river waves, eclipse disc rendered as a dramatic celestial motif; warm red/yellow/green palette with black contours, temple-lamp highlights, the bull depicted with iconic ornamentation and sacred markings, mural-like flat perspective and rhythmic repetition of forms.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: tīrtha ghat filled with lotus motifs and floral borders, eclipse disc above as a decorative mandala, devotees offering dāna, a sacred bull garlanded; deep blue background, gold detailing, intricate border vines, peacocks near the water, devotional abundance and pattern-rich composition."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","temple bells","murmuring river","soft crowd chant","low eclipse-time hush"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यद्दानमक्षयं = यत् दानम् अक्षयम्; तद्भवेत् = तत् भवेत्
FAQs
The verse presents tīrtha-bathing as a sanctifying condition that amplifies the spiritual fruit of dāna, making its merit described as enduring or inexhaustible (akṣaya).
It recommends vṛṣotsarga—traditionally understood as the meritorious gifting/releasing of a bull—as an unsurpassed act of charity during eclipses.
It emphasizes purposeful generosity: giving at sacred times and places is portrayed as especially fruitful, encouraging disciplined charity aligned with dharma.