Shloka 16
The Glory of Prayāga: Merit of Bathing, Remembrance, and Divine Protection
अवगाह्य च पीत्वा च पुनात्यासप्तमं कुलम् । सत्यवादी जितक्रोधो अहिंसां परमास्थितः
avagāhya ca pītvā ca punātyāsaptamaṃ kulam | satyavādī jitakrodho ahiṃsāṃ paramāsthitaḥ
مَن اغتسل هناك وشرب من ذلك الماء طهَّر حتى الجيل السابع من سلالته. هو صادقُ القول، قاهرٌ للغضب، راسخٌ في أسمى مراتب الأَهِمْسا (اللاعنف).
Unspecified (context not provided; likely within a Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue typical of tīrtha-māhātmya passages)
Concept: True tīrtha-benefit culminates in ethical transformation: satya, krodha-jaya, and ahiṃsā.
Application: When visiting sacred places, pair ritual bathing with vows of truthful speech, anger-management, and non-harm; bring the ‘tīrtha’ home as conduct.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At a broad stone ghat, a pilgrim emerges from sacred waters, cupping his hands to drink, while translucent ancestral figures behind him brighten as if washed by the same sanctity. Above, the air seems calmer—anger subdued—while a white crane and gentle cows nearby symbolize ahiṃsā and truth.","primary_figures":["pilgrim/bather","subtle pitṛs (ancestral silhouettes)","optional: tīrtha-devatā presence as a faint aura"],"setting":"River/pond ghat with carved steps, offering trays with sesame and water, small shrine niche, banyan shade.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["river jade","sunrise gold","white jasmine","stone gray","vermillion"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: sacred ghat scene with a central bather offering arghya, gold-leaf highlights on water ripples and sunrise; faint ancestral forms behind, ornate border, rich reds/greens, temple-style iconography for a small shrine on the steps.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: serene ghat under a pale dawn sky, delicate ripples, refined figure drinking tīrtha-water; soft translucent pitṛs in the background, cool pastel palette with lyrical trees and birds.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized river steps, bold outlines; the pilgrim in ritual posture, pitṛs as pale ochre silhouettes; strong red/yellow/green pigments, decorative bands and lotus medallions framing the scene.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical ghat composition with lotus borders; water rendered in patterned motifs, offering vessels and sesame; cows and peacocks at the margins as auspicious symbols, deep blues with gold detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["flowing water","morning birds","soft bell from ghat shrine","gentle conch (far)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: punātyāsaptamaṃ → punāti + ā-saptamam (vowel sandhi); jitakrodho → jita-krodhaḥ (visarga sandhi); paramāsthitaḥ → parama-āsthitaḥ (vowel sandhi).
FAQs
The verse states that bathing (immersion) and drinking the water of a sacred place (tīrtha) purifies one’s lineage up to the seventh generation.
Truthfulness (satya), mastery over anger (jitakrodha), and steadfast commitment to non-violence (ahiṃsā) are presented as key virtues.
External religious acts (like tīrtha bathing) are elevated and stabilized by inner discipline—truthful speech, self-control, and non-violence—as a unified dharmic ideal.