Shloka 82
The Greatness of the Gaṅgā: Purification, Ancestor Rites, and Liberation
कर्तुः स्नानफलं विद्याद्द्विगुणं प्रेरकस्य च । इच्छयानिच्छया चापि प्रेरणेनान्यसेवया
kartuḥ snānaphalaṃ vidyāddviguṇaṃ prerakasya ca | icchayānicchayā cāpi preraṇenānyasevayā
Wisse: Das Verdienst des heiligen Bades, das dem Ausführenden zufällt, kommt dem, der ihn dazu anregt, zweifach zu—ob aus freiem Willen oder widerwillig, sei es durch Zuspruch oder durch dienendes Ermöglichen der Tat eines anderen.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context likely within a Pulastya–Bhīṣma narration in Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa).
Concept: Merit is transmissible and amplifiable: the प्रेरक (one who motivates) gains double the fruit of the doer’s sacred bath, even if the prompting is indirect or reluctant.
Application: Encourage family and community toward good practices (pilgrimage, charity, japa); facilitate others’ worship materially or emotionally; recognize that enabling goodness is itself powerful sādhanā.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At a sacred bathing ghat, one pilgrim steps into the water while another gently urges him forward, offering a towel and pointing to the auspicious spot. Above them, a subtle double halo forms around the encourager, visualizing the ‘twofold’ merit that accrues through प्रेरणा and facilitation.","primary_figures":["bather performing snāna","encourager/facilitator (preraka)","optional priest indicating auspicious time"],"setting":"Stone ghāṭa with steps descending into calm water, small shrine bell, offerings on a tray, pilgrims in the distance","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["water jade","stone gray","sunlit gold","white cotton","vermillion red"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: ghāṭa scene with bather entering water, preraka offering cloth and gesturing, double gold halo around preraka to signify dviguṇa-phala; gold leaf on water highlights, rich maroon-green accents, ornate frame and traditional jewelry details.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate riverside steps, soft light filtering through trees, intimate gesture of encouragement; cool greens and blues, refined expressions, subtle luminous aura around the preraka, lyrical landscape depth.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined figures on ghāṭa steps, stylized water patterns, preraka shown with emphasized aura bands; red-yellow-green palette with deep blue water, temple-wall symmetry and clear narrative gesture.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical ghāṭa composition with decorative wave motifs, lotus borders, central pair (bather and preraka) highlighted; deep blues and gold, intricate floral frames, celebratory depiction of shared merit."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"didactic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["flowing water","handbell","soft crowd murmur","conch shell (brief)","wind through trees"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विद्याद्द्विगुणम् = विद्यात् + द्विगुणम्; इच्छयानिच्छया = इच्छया + अनिच्छया; चापि = च + अपि; प्रेरणेनान्यसेवया = प्रेरणेन + अन्यसेवया.
FAQs
It states that the person who prompts or facilitates another’s sacred bath gains double the merit of the actual performer, emphasizing the spiritual value of enabling others’ good deeds.
Yes. It explicitly includes both willing and unwilling prompting, and also indirect facilitation (“service through another”), indicating that enabling a meritorious act still yields spiritual fruit.
The verse promotes a social ethic of dharma: do not only perform good acts yourself, but also actively support, inspire, and make it easier for others to perform virtuous and purifying practices.