Shloka 7
Account of Various Sacred Tīrthas
Pilgrimage Merits and Prayāga Supremacy
प्रभावे च कुलं पूत्वा सर्वपापं व्यपोहति । गोसहस्रफलं लब्ध्वा पुनाति स्वकुलं नरः
prabhāve ca kulaṃ pūtvā sarvapāpaṃ vyapohati | gosahasraphalaṃ labdhvā punāti svakulaṃ naraḥ
Durch seine heilige Kraft reinigt ein Mensch sein Geschlecht und vertreibt alle Sünde; erlangt er das Verdienst einer Gabe von tausend Kühen, heiligt er seine eigene Familie.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Svarga-khaṇḍa 39)
Concept: Personal purification has transpersonal effects: one’s dharmic acts can cleanse family reputation, karmic burdens, and social-spiritual continuity.
Application: Repair family harm by living visibly ethical: truthfulness, sobriety, service, and charitable giving; dedicate merits to ancestors and future generations.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At a sacred ford, a devotee completes snāna and then offers gifts to brahmins and the poor; behind him, faint ancestral silhouettes appear as if being washed clean by the tīrtha’s radiance. The scene emphasizes lineage—family members stand together, hands joined, as the air glows with the invisible weight of merit.","primary_figures":["a devotee (householder)","family members (kula)","brahmins/recipients of dāna","ancestral spirits (pitṛs, subtle)"],"setting":"Stone ghat at a tīrtha with a small altar for dāna; banyan tree, lamps, offering trays","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit with soft divine glow","color_palette":["warm amber","sandalwood brown","river blue","ivory white","vermillion"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: tīrtha ghat with devotee and family performing snāna and dāna, gold leaf aura spreading outward to include ancestral figures; rich reds/greens, ornate jewelry, stylized lamps and lotus motifs, gem-studded borders emphasizing ‘prabhāva’ as visible radiance.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate family scene at a riverside ghat, delicate gestures of giving, faint translucent pitṛ figures in the background; soft earth tones with cool river blues, refined faces, lyrical composition focusing on moral tenderness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined family group and recipients of charity, stylized ancestral forms above like a frieze; strong reds/yellows/greens, temple-wall aesthetic, decorative borders and symbolic cow motif indicating go-sahasra-phala.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: patterned ghat scene with repeated lotus borders, central devotee offering dāna, stylized cow motifs along the border to signify go-sahasra merit; deep blues and gold, intricate floral frames, devotional symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["temple bells","murmured mantras","coin/bracelet clinks during dāna","river lapping","conch shell (distant)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गोसहस्रफलं = गो-सहस्र-फलम्; स्वकुलं = स्व-कुलम्.
FAQs
It presents puṇya as transformative: it not only cancels personal sin but is also portrayed as capable of purifying one’s entire family line (kula).
Go-dāna (cow-gifting) is a classical benchmark for great religious merit; the verse uses it as a recognizable measure to communicate the extraordinary spiritual reward of the praised act.
The verse frames spiritual practice as socially consequential: one’s conduct and religious merit are depicted as benefiting not only oneself but also one’s wider familial community.