Shloka 49
Tīrtha-Māhātmya of the Sarasvatī Region and the Praise of Kurukṣetra
Pilgrimage Merits
उभयोर्हि नरः स्नात्वा गोसहस्रफलं लभेत् । दानं वाप्युपवासो वा सहस्रगुणितो भवेत्
ubhayorhi naraḥ snātvā gosahasraphalaṃ labhet | dānaṃ vāpyupavāso vā sahasraguṇito bhavet
حقًّا، من اغتسل في الموضعين المقدّسين نال ثوابًا يعادل صدقة ألف بقرة؛ وكلّ صدقة تُعطى—بل وحتى الصوم—يتضاعف أجره ألفَ مرّة.
Unspecified (narratorial voice within the adhyaya; dialogue context not provided in the input)
Concept: Sacred context magnifies spiritual acts: snāna yields go-dāna-equivalent merit, and dāna or upavāsa performed there becomes thousandfold.
Application: Pair inner discipline (fasting, restraint) with outer supports (holy places, sacred times). Even small charity or a simple fast gains strength when done with devotion and right setting.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At two adjacent sacred ghāṭas, pilgrims complete a double snāna: first at Śata-sahasraka, then at Sāhasraka. A radiant, symbolic 'thousandfold' motif appears as repeating halos and lotus rosettes around acts of charity—hands offering coins, cloth, and food—while a fasting devotee sits calmly with a water pot untouched.","primary_figures":["pilgrims bathing","donor performing dāna","fasting devotee (upavāsī)","tīrtha priests (optional)"],"setting":"twin ghāṭas on the same river stretch, small shrines, donation pavilion, fasting area under a canopy","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit twilight blending into divine glow","color_palette":["deep blue","lamp-flame amber","gold leaf","marigold orange","ivory white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: twin tīrtha ghāṭas with devotees bathing; foreground donor offering dāna and an upavāsī seated in serene restraint; gold leaf used to depict 'thousandfold' radiance as repeating aureoles and lotus rosettes, rich reds/greens, ornate shrine architecture, gem-studded ornaments, embossed borders with conch/lotus patterns.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: two neighboring ghāṭas along a gentle river, delicate figures performing snāna, dāna, and quiet fasting; subtle visual repetition (rows of small lotus medallions) to suggest thousandfold merit; cool blues with warm amber lamps, refined facial expressions, lyrical devotional realism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized twin ghāṭas, donors and fasters in clear iconographic poses; repeated circular motifs around offerings to indicate multiplied fruit; red/yellow/green palette with natural pigments, temple-wall border patterns and symmetrical layout.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional tableau with twin water panels, intricate floral borders, lotus motifs multiplied across the cloth to symbolize sahasra-guṇa; donors offering at a pavilion, fasting devotee seated; deep blues and gold, peacocks and cows as auspicious side motifs, Vaishnava emblems woven into the border."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"celebratory","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","conch shell","river flow","coin clink/offerings placed","soft group chanting"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: उभयोर्हि = उभयोः + हि; वाप्युपवासो = वा + अपि + उपवासः (अपि → प्य् before vowel).
FAQs
It teaches that bathing at both sacred sites grants immense merit, and that acts like charity or fasting performed in that context yield results multiplied a thousandfold.
It denotes merit comparable to the traditional high-value gift of a thousand cows—an idiom for exceptionally great religious fruit (puṇya).
It encourages disciplined, sincere practice—pilgrimage bathing, generosity, and self-restraint—by highlighting their amplified spiritual impact when done in a sacred setting.