Shloka 26
अवगाढा च पीत्वा च पुनात्यासप्तमं कुलम् । प्राणांस्त्यजति यस्तत्र स याति परमां गतिम्
avagāḍhā ca pītvā ca punātyāsaptamaṃ kulam | prāṇāṃstyajati yastatra sa yāti paramāṃ gatim
Indem man in sie eintaucht und von ihrem Wasser trinkt, reinigt man die Sippe bis zur siebten Generation. Und wer dort sein Leben hingibt, gelangt zum höchsten Ziel.
Unspecified (context-dependent narration within Svarga-khaṇḍa; likely within a Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue unit, but not verifiable from the single verse alone).
Concept: Tīrtha-sevā (bathing, drinking, and final surrender at a sacred place) purifies lineage and grants the highest post-mortem destiny.
Application: Undertake pilgrimage with purity of intent; treat sacred water with reverence (snāna, ācamana) and pair it with ethical living and remembrance of Hari; cultivate readiness for death through dharma and devotion rather than fear.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A pilgrim descends stone steps into a luminous sacred ford, cupping water to drink as ripples form lotus-like mandalas. Behind him, faint ancestral silhouettes rise upward in seven tiers, dissolving into a radiant path toward a distant Vaikuṇṭha-like horizon, suggesting liberation through tīrtha-grace.","primary_figures":["pilgrim devotee","ancestral spirits (pitṛs)","tīrtha-devatā (suggested presence)","Vishnu (subtle, in aura or sky)"],"setting":"Ancient ghāṭa at a revered ford; carved steps, banyan and peepal trees, small shrine with lamp and conch; water surface reflecting a celestial corridor.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sapphire blue","lotus pink","gold leaf","river-silver","sandalwood beige"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: sacred ghāṭa scene with a devotee performing snāna and ācamana at a tīrtha, ancestral figures ascending in seven luminous bands, Viṣṇu’s protective aura in the sky; heavy gold leaf halos, rich vermilion and emerald textiles, gem-studded ornaments on shrine icons, ornate arch framing the river steps.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate riverside ghāṭa with fine ripples, a lone pilgrim drinking tīrtha-jala, translucent pitṛs rising like mist in seven layers; cool blues and soft pinks, lyrical trees and distant temples, refined faces and gentle atmospheric perspective.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined ghāṭa and river, stylized devotee in traditional attire, seven-tier ancestral ascent rendered as rhythmic bands, a subtle Viṣṇu presence as a radiant mandala; natural pigment reds/yellows/greens, temple-wall symmetry, large expressive eyes.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Yamunā-like ford with lotus motifs and ornate floral borders, devotee at the water’s edge, celestial path above with stylized clouds; deep indigo river, gold highlights, peacocks and cows at the margins, devotional symmetry reminiscent of Nathdwara aesthetics."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing water","temple bells","conch shell (distant)","soft wind in trees","brief silence after key phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पुनात्यासप्तमं → पुनाति आ सप्तमम् (इ + आ → या); प्राणांस्त्यजति → प्राणान् त्यजति (न् + त्); यस्तत्र → यः तत्र
FAQs
The verse praises a sacred place where bathing (immersion) and drinking the water are said to confer purification and spiritual merit.
It expresses the traditional Purāṇic idea that the merit of tirtha-related acts can uplift not only the practitioner but also their ancestral and descendant lineage, figuratively described as up to seven generations.
The line “whoever gives up life there” is a standard tirtha-māhātmya motif indicating the extraordinary salvific status attributed to dying at a sacred site; it is not framed as an ethical instruction to self-harm, and traditional interpretation typically distinguishes between natural death/passing away at a holy place and intentional self-destruction.