Shloka 39
Kurukṣetra and Sarasvatī Tīrthas: Pilgrimage Itinerary and the Sanctification of Rāma-hrada
Paraśurāma’s Lakes
स्ववंशमुद्धरेद्राजन्स्नात्वा वै वंशमूलके । कायशोधनमासाद्य तीर्थं भरतसत्तम
svavaṃśamuddharedrājansnātvā vai vaṃśamūlake | kāyaśodhanamāsādya tīrthaṃ bharatasattama
O König, wer in Vaṃśamūlaka badet, erhebt sein eigenes Geschlecht; und wer die Tīrtha namens Kāyaśodhana erreicht, o Bester der Bhāratas, erlangt Läuterung des Leibes.
Unknown (context not provided; likely a narrator-sage addressing a king)
Concept: Pilgrimage can be an act of responsibility toward both ancestors (kula) and one’s embodied conduct (kāya).
Application: Dedicate spiritual practice not only for personal gain but also as an offering for family well-being; keep the body pure through ethical living and sattvic habits.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A pilgrim procession moves from a banyan-rooted shrine labeled Vaṃśamūlaka toward a clear, shimmering ford called Kāyaśodhana. In the foreground, a devotee pours water in a respectful offering gesture, while the water’s surface reflects faint ancestral silhouettes—symbolizing kula uplift—before dissolving into pure light.","primary_figures":["Pilgrims","Ancestral presences (symbolic silhouettes)","Tīrtha guardian sage (optional)"],"setting":"Two connected sacred sites: a grove with a massive banyan and a nearby bright ford with stone steps and crystal water.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["leaf green","stone gray","crystal blue","sunlit gold","smoke-white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dual-scene composition with Vaṃśamūlaka banyan grove on one side and Kāyaśodhana ford on the other, pilgrims in traditional attire, gold leaf highlights on water ripples and sacred symbols, ornate borders, rich reds/greens, stylized ancestral motifs appearing as faint gold silhouettes in the water.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a narrative landscape showing pilgrims walking between two tīrthas, delicate banyan leaves, transparent water with fine ripples, subtle ancestral reflections, cool palette with soft gold accents, refined figures and lyrical naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized banyan with patterned roots, bold-outlined pilgrims, the ford rendered as a decorative blue band with lotus-like motifs, ancestral forms as pale iconographic shapes, warm pigment scheme and temple-wall framing.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical tīrtha scene with ornate floral borders, central water panel labeled Kāyaśodhana, side panel banyan motif for Vaṃśamūlaka, rows of pilgrims and offering trays, intricate lotus patterns, deep blues and gold with peacock accents."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["flowing water","rustling leaves","soft footsteps","distant bells","low chanting"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: उद्धरेत् + राजन् + स्नात्वा → उद्धरेद्राजन्स्नात्वा (त्→द् before r; word-boundary sandhi); वंशमूलके is सप्तमी; कायशोधनम् + आसाद्य → कायशोधनमासाद्य.
FAQs
It states that bathing there “uplifts” or benefits one’s own lineage (svavaṃśa), implying ancestral and familial merit.
Kāyaśodhana is presented as a tīrtha (sacred place) whose name conveys “purification of the body,” suggesting a ritual and moral cleansing associated with pilgrimage.
The verse emphasizes tīrtha-yātrā and snāna (ritual bathing) as acts believed to generate merit that purifies the person and benefits the family line.