Shloka 80
Pilgrimage Sequence on Sacred Fords (Narmadā Region): Bhṛgu-tīrtha, Śiva-vratas, and Merit Amplification
अपरपक्षे अमावास्यां स्नानं तत्र समाचरेत् । ब्राह्मणं भोजयेदेकं कोटिर्भवति भोजिता
aparapakṣe amāvāsyāṃ snānaṃ tatra samācaret | brāhmaṇaṃ bhojayedekaṃ koṭirbhavati bhojitā
في يوم الأَمَاوَاسْيَا (amāvasyā) من النصف المظلم، فليغتسل هناك على الوجه اللائق؛ وإن أطعم براهمنًا (brāhmaṇa) واحدًا، فكأنما أطعم كُوṭي (koṭi) من الناس.
Unspecified (narrative instruction within the Svarga-khaṇḍa dialogue context)
Concept: At a sanctified place, amāvāsyā bathing and even minimal dāna (feeding one brāhmaṇa) yields vast puṇya.
Application: On amāvāsyā, perform a mindful bath (or symbolic snān), offer food/charity to a worthy person, and dedicate the act to Nārāyaṇa rather than to social display.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On a dark-moon morning at a revered ford, a pilgrim steps into still water, palms joined, while a single brāhmaṇa sits on a kusa mat awaiting a humble meal. Though the scene is simple, the air shimmers with unseen merit—like countless offerings silently blooming in the invisible realm.","primary_figures":["pilgrim householder","brāhmaṇa recipient","subtle presence of Viṣṇu as unseen witness"],"setting":"riverbank tīrtha with stone steps, kusa grass, small clay lamps, offering plates with rice and fruits","lighting_mood":"pre-dawn mist with temple lamp-lit glow","color_palette":["indigo night","river-silver","lamp-flame amber","sandalwood beige","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: amāvāsyā tīrtha-snān on stone ghats, a devotee offering anna-dāna to a seated brāhmaṇa, faint haloed Viṣṇu-symbols (śaṅkha-cakra) in the sky as divine witness, heavy gold leaf on ornaments and lamp flames, rich maroon and emerald textiles, gem-studded vessels, South Indian iconographic detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: quiet river ford at dark moon, delicate mist over water, a devotee in simple dhoti offering a leaf-plate meal to a serene brāhmaṇa on kusa, soft pastel blues and greys, fine facial features, lyrical trees and distant hills, minimal but poetic composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined figures at a sacred ghat, stylized river waves, ritual vessels and lamps, warm red-yellow-green palette, large expressive eyes, ornamental borders with lotus and conch motifs, devotional stillness emphasized.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: tīrtha ghat framed by intricate floral borders and lotus motifs, small lamps along the steps, central act of anna-dāna, subtle Viṣṇu emblems and garlands, deep blue background with gold highlights, peacocks perched on railings for auspiciousness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft river flow","single temple bell","low conch in distance","morning birds","ritual spoon clink"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भोजयेदेकं = भोजयेत् + एकम्; कोटिर्भवति = कोटिः + भवति.
FAQs
It recommends performing a proper ritual bath (snāna) at that sacred place on the new-moon day of the dark fortnight.
The verse says feeding even one brāhmaṇa yields merit equivalent to feeding a crore (ten million) people.
It emphasizes combining personal purification (bathing) with generosity and respect toward learned persons (brāhmaṇa-bhojana), presenting charity as a powerful multiplier of merit.