Shloka 37
Account of Various Sacred Tīrthas
Pilgrimage Merits and Prayāga Supremacy
अग्निष्टोमशतं विंद्याद्गमनादेव तत्र तु । सर्वदेवह्रदे स्नात्वा गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
agniṣṭomaśataṃ viṃdyādgamanādeva tatra tu | sarvadevahrade snātvā gosahasraphalaṃ labhet
তালৈ কেৱল গমন কৰিলেই শত অগ্নিষ্টোম যজ্ঞৰ পুণ্য লাভ হয়। আৰু সৰ্বদেৱ-হ্ৰদত স্নান কৰিলে হাজাৰ গাই দান কৰাৰ সমান ফল পোৱা যায়।
Unspecified (narratorial voice within the Padma Purāṇa’s Svarga-khaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya context)
Concept: Sincere approach to a sanctified locus can compress vast ritual merit; bathing symbolizes surrender of impurity and reception of divine grace.
Application: When overwhelmed by elaborate duties, choose a simple, sincere practice—visit a temple, take a purifying bath, chant—done with faith and ethical intent.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vast, mirror-like lake named Sarvadeva-hrada lies under a sky filled with subtle, translucent forms of many devas—barely visible, like reflections in air. A pilgrim steps onto the ghat, and as he enters the water, the surface blooms with concentric rings of light, suggesting the sudden bestowal of ‘hundred Agniṣṭomas’ and ‘thousand-cow gift’ merit.","primary_figures":["pilgrim devotee","subtle assembly of devas (Indra, Varuṇa, Sūrya, Agni—ethereal)"],"setting":"Grand lake with carved stone ghats, small shrines on the perimeter, banyan and aśvattha trees, and a distant sacrificial altar motif etched into the landscape.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["midnight blue","opal white","aqua teal","silver","soft gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Sarvadeva-hrada with ornate ghats and multiple small deity shrines; ethereal devas hovering in the upper register with gold leaf halos; a pilgrim performing snāna; heavy gold embellishment on ripples, halos, and shrine arches; rich jewel tones with traditional symmetry and decorative borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tranquil moonlit lake with delicate ripples; faint, cloud-like deva silhouettes reflected on the water; a lone pilgrim at the ghat; cool palette, refined faces, lyrical naturalism, thin white highlights on water rings.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized lake framed by lotus borders; devas rendered with bold outlines and characteristic eyes, arranged in a semicircle above; pilgrim at the ghat; natural pigments emphasizing deep blues, greens, and warm yellows; temple-wall composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Sarvadeva lake filled with lotus motifs; ornate floral border with peacocks; subtle deva emblems (vajra, pāśa, cakra, agni) patterned into the background; deep blues and gold, intricate textile-like detailing; devotional symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"celebratory","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","conch shell","water splashes","distant Vedic chant cadence","night insects"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विंद्याद्गमनादेव → विन्द्यात् + गमनात् + एव; सर्वदेवह्रदे (समास); गोसहस्रफलं → गोसहस्रफलम्; लभेत् (पद्ये labhet).
FAQs
It states that simply traveling to the sacred place yields the merit of performing one hundred Agniṣṭoma sacrifices, and bathing in Sarvadeva-hrada yields the fruit equivalent to donating a thousand cows.
In tīrtha-māhātmya sections, Purāṇas often express the sanctity and accessibility of sacred places by equating their benefits with difficult, resource-intensive Vedic rituals, emphasizing that devotion and sacred practice can be available beyond elaborate sacrifice.
It encourages undertaking pilgrimage and performing sacred bathing with faith and purity of intention, presenting them as powerful, attainable practices associated with great religious merit.