Shloka 95
The Episode of Vena: Purification, the ‘Vāsudevābhidhā’ Hymn, and the Dharma of Charity
Times, Tīrthas, Worthy Recipients
अज्ञातानां सुतीर्थानां देवानां नृपसत्तम । स्नाने दाने महाराज मन्नाम हि समुच्चरेत्
ajñātānāṃ sutīrthānāṃ devānāṃ nṛpasattama | snāne dāne mahārāja mannāma hi samuccaret
হে নৃপসত্তম, অজ্ঞাত তীৰ্থ আৰু দেবতাসকলৰ নিমিত্তে, হে মহাৰাজ—স্নান আৰু দানৰ সময়ত নিশ্চয় মোৰ নাম উচ্চাৰণ কৰিব লাগে।
Unspecified (verse addresses a king; likely a sage/deity instructing the king in ritual practice)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: tirtha
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मन्नाम = मत् + नाम; समुच्चरेत् = सम् + उद् + चर् (उच्चारणार्थे)।
FAQs
It suggests a way to include and honor sacred places and deities one may not know by name—by invoking the speaker’s name during ritual acts, the merit is not limited by one’s incomplete knowledge.
It elevates nāma-smaraṇa/nāma-ucchāraṇa (uttering the divine name) as a potent devotional supplement to ritual actions like bathing and charity, indicating that devotion can complete or empower formal rites.
Perform snāna and dāna with mindful remembrance—uttering the divine name—so that one’s acts are intentional, inclusive, and spiritually oriented rather than merely mechanical.