Shloka 59
Account of Various Sacred Tīrthas
Pilgrimage Merits and Prayāga Supremacy
कोटितीर्थे नरः स्नात्वा गोसहस्रफलं लभेत् । प्रदक्षिणमुपावृत्य यशःस्थानं व्रजेन्नरः
koṭitīrthe naraḥ snātvā gosahasraphalaṃ labhet | pradakṣiṇamupāvṛtya yaśaḥsthānaṃ vrajennaraḥ
Wer in Koṭitīrtha badet, erlangt Verdienst, das dem Geschenk von tausend Kühen gleichkommt. Nach vollzogener Pradakṣiṇā und Rückkehr erreicht er eine ruhmreiche, geehrte Stätte.
Unspecified (tīrtha-māhātmya narration within Svarga-khaṇḍa; commonly framed as Pulastya speaking to Bhīṣma in Padma Purāṇa dialogues)
Concept: Ritualized pilgrimage—snāna and pradakṣiṇā—transmutes intention into merit comparable to great charity.
Application: When visiting sacred places, do the full discipline: bathe (or symbolically purify), circumambulate mindfully, and dedicate the merit to the welfare of others—turning travel into sādhana.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At Koṭitīrtha, pilgrims descend broad stone ghāṭs into clear sacred water, cupping it to their heads as priests chant. After bathing, they walk a clockwise pradakṣiṇā around a small shrine and ancient trees hung with prayer-cloths, while a celestial ledger motif—subtle golden script in the air—suggests ‘go-sahasra-phala’ being recorded.","primary_figures":["Pilgrims (men and women)","Temple priest","Guardian deity of Koṭitīrtha (implied)"],"setting":"A tīrtha pond/river-ghāṭ with steps, a modest shrine, sacred trees, and circumambulatory path marked by lamps and flowers.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["lotus pink","sunrise gold","turquoise water","sandalwood beige","emerald green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Koṭitīrtha ghāṭ scene with pilgrims bathing, priests holding brass lamps, a small shrine at center; lavish gold leaf on water highlights and temple ornaments, rich vermilion and emerald garments, embossed floral borders, conveying merit equal to a thousand cows.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: serene pond with stepped ghāṭs, delicate figures performing snāna and pradakṣiṇā, soft dawn sky; fine linework, cool turquoise and gentle pinks, lyrical trees and distant hills, quiet sanctity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized ghāṭ and shrine, pilgrims in rhythmic procession clockwise, priests with lamp and conch; bold outlines, flat yet vibrant pigments, sacred symmetry emphasizing pradakṣiṇā.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate border of lotuses and creepers; central Koṭitīrtha water body with devotees bathing, clockwise procession around a shrine; peacocks near the steps, deep blue background with gold accents, celebratory yet devotional."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["flowing water","ghāṭ bells","mantra chanting","conch shell","footsteps in procession"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गोसहस्रफलं = गो + सहस्र + फलम् (समास); प्रदक्षिणमुपावृत्य = प्रदक्षिणम् + उपावृत्य; व्रजेन्नरः = व्रजेत् + नरः (त् + न → न्न).
FAQs
The verse prescribes bathing (snāna) at Koṭitīrtha and performing circumambulation (pradakṣiṇā) of the sacred site.
It states that bathing there yields merit equal to the fruit of gifting a thousand cows (go-sahasra-phala).
It emphasizes disciplined sacred action—purificatory bathing and reverential circumambulation—presenting pilgrimage as a structured form of devotion that leads to spiritual merit and lasting good repute.