Shloka 4
The Account of King Bhadreśvara
Sun-worship, healing, and heavenly ascent
राजोवाच । किल्बिषं मे करे विप्रा दुःसहं लोकगर्हितं । तस्मात्पुण्यं महाक्षेत्रं यत्र त्यक्ष्यामि विग्रहं
rājovāca | kilbiṣaṃ me kare viprā duḥsahaṃ lokagarhitaṃ | tasmātpuṇyaṃ mahākṣetraṃ yatra tyakṣyāmi vigrahaṃ
রাজা বললেন—হে বিপ্রগণ! আমার হাতে এমন পাপ আছে যা অসহনীয় এবং লোকনিন্দিত। অতএব আমাকে এমন পরম পুণ্যময় মহাক্ষেত্র বলুন, যেখানে আমি এই দেহ ত্যাগ করতে পারি।
The King (Rājā)
Concept: Acknowledged sin and sincere repentance naturally turn the seeker toward a mahākṣetra where body and karma can be relinquished in sanctity.
Application: When guilt arises, move from self-condemnation to corrective action: confession to the wise, restitution, charity, and pilgrimage/devotion rather than despair.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The king stands before assembled brāhmaṇas, palms open in confession—one hand visibly afflicted—his crown slightly lowered as pride gives way to penitence. Behind him, the palace fades into a symbolic horizon where a radiant ‘mahākṣetra’ appears like a distant promise: temple spires, sacred waters, and a path of light.","primary_figures":["King Bhadreśvara","foremost brāhmaṇas"],"setting":"Royal hall opening into a visionary backdrop of a great tirtha—ghats, temple towers, and pilgrims","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["pearl white","saffron gold","river blue","smoky violet","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: The king in penitential posture before seated brāhmaṇas; gold leaf radiance forming a visionary mahākṣetra in the background with stylized temple gopuram/śikhara and shimmering water; rich reds and greens in textiles; ornate borders; the afflicted hand delicately shown, emphasizing confession and grace.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: A poignant counsel scene with the king slightly bowed, brāhmaṇas calm and compassionate; in the distance a luminous river-ghat and temple silhouette; cool blues and soft saffron; delicate facial emotion; airy landscape suggesting spiritual journey.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Iconic arrangement—king at center with expressive eyes, brāhmaṇas in a semicircle; a stylized sacred kṣetra vignette above like a narrative register; bold outlines; warm yellow-red palette with green accents; clear emphasis on the marked hand and the act of surrender.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Central penitential king framed by lotus borders; a symbolic tirtha mandala behind—ghats, lamps, and floral garlands; deep blue ground with gold highlights; peacocks at corners; devotional symmetry conveying the pull of a mahākṣetra."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant river flow (imagined)","conch shell","long pauses of silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: राजोवाच → राजा उवाच. तस्मात्पुण्यं → तस्मात् पुण्यम्. (अर्थतः ‘पुण्यं महाक्षेत्रं’ = ‘पुण्यं महाक्षेत्रम्’).
FAQs
It introduces the idea of a “mahākṣetra”—a preeminent sacred region—implying that certain places are regarded as especially potent for purification and final rites, even before naming a specific tīrtha.
Indirectly: by seeking refuge in a “puṇya mahākṣetra,” the king turns toward sacred space and religious counsel, a typical Purāṇic movement toward surrender, purification, and God-centered living that often culminates in bhakti practices in the surrounding narrative.
Moral accountability: the king admits a grievous, socially condemned wrongdoing and actively seeks a dharmic remedy (prāyaścitta), showing that confession, responsibility, and corrective action are central ethical ideals.