Shloka 46
The Episode of Cyavana
Cyavana’s Hermitage and the Power of Tapas
स जगाम तपः कर्तुं रेवां लोकैकपावनीम् । शिष्यैः परिवृतः सर्वैस्तपोबलसमन्वितैः
sa jagāma tapaḥ kartuṃ revāṃ lokaikapāvanīm | śiṣyaiḥ parivṛtaḥ sarvaistapobalasamanvitaiḥ
Er ging zur Revā (Narmadā), der einzigen Läuterin der Welten, um Askese zu üben, umgeben von all seinen Schülern, erfüllt von der Kraft, die aus der Buße geboren ist.
Narrator (contextual; the verse reports an action rather than direct speech)
Concept: Seek purification and spiritual power through disciplined tapas supported by tīrtha: sacred geography amplifies inner effort when approached with humility and guidance.
Application: Choose environments that support your practice—regular visits to sacred or quiet places, disciplined routines, and community/mentor support; let ‘place’ reinforce ‘purpose.’
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A great ascetic walks toward the broad, flowing Revā, her waters shimmering like liquid crystal, while a line of disciplined disciples follows, each carrying a kamaṇḍalu and staff. The riverbank is alive with sacred stillness—smooth stones, flowering reeds, and a distant shrine—suggesting that the landscape itself participates in purification.","primary_figures":["Great ascetic (the son of Cyavana)","Disciples (śiṣyas)","Personified Revā/Narmadā (optional as a river-goddess)"],"setting":"Narmadā riverbank with ghāṭ-like steps or natural rock terraces, forested slopes, and a small hermitage pavilion.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["river turquoise","sunlit gold","stone gray","leaf emerald","lotus pink"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: the ascetic and disciples approaching Revā, gold leaf on the river’s highlights and haloed river-goddess figure, rich reds/greens in garments, ornate border with conch-lotus motifs, South Indian devotional iconography adapted to a river-tīrtha scene.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: expansive river landscape with delicate brushwork, cool blues and greens, lyrical naturalism in reeds and stones, refined faces of ascetic and disciples, distant shrine nestled in hills.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized flowing river bands, ascetic group in rhythmic procession, red/yellow/green palette with patterned background, temple-wall narrative clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central river as a decorative band with lotus clusters, ascetic procession framed by intricate floral borders, peacocks and cows at margins, deep blue and gold highlights, devotional symmetry suggesting tīrtha-mahātmya."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing water","conch shell (soft)","temple bells at a riverside shrine","wind through reeds","footsteps on stone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: लोकैकपावनीम् = लोक + एक + पावनीम् (समास). सर्वैस्तपोबलसमन्वितैः = सर्वैः + तपोबलसमन्वितैः (विसर्ग-लोप/संधि).
FAQs
It identifies the Revā (Narmadā) as a supreme tīrtha, praised as “lokaikapāvanī,” indicating her pan-Indian sanctity and role as a purifier across realms.
Indirectly, it highlights a devotional sacred landscape: undertaking tapas at a revered river-tīrtha reflects reverence for divinely charged places, a common support for bhakti-oriented practice in Purāṇic tradition.
The verse promotes disciplined spiritual effort (tapas) undertaken in holy company—showing that sincere practice, guided by a teacher and supported by committed disciples, strengthens inner power and purpose.