Shloka 18
Narmadā Pilgrimage Itinerary: Sequence of Tīrthas, Rites, and Fruits
तत्र स्नात्वार्च्चयेद्देवं नरकं च न गच्छति । भारभूतं ततो गच्छेदुपवासपरायणः
tatra snātvārccayeddevaṃ narakaṃ ca na gacchati | bhārabhūtaṃ tato gacchedupavāsaparāyaṇaḥ
Having bathed there and worshipped the Deity, one does not go to hell. Then, devoted to fasting, one should proceed from there to Bhārabhūta, the next sacred place.
Unspecified (narratorial instruction within the Svarga-khaṇḍa context)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्नात्वार्च्चयेत् = स्नात्वा + अर्चयेत्; अर्चयेद्देवम् = अर्चयेत् + देवम्; गच्छेदुपवासपरायणः = गच्छेत् + उपवासपरायणः.
FAQs
It prescribes tīrtha-snānā (bathing at the sacred place) followed by deva-arcana (worship of the Deity), presented as a means to avoid naraka (hell) and gain religious merit.
Upavāsa is presented as a supporting austerity accompanying pilgrimage: after bathing and worship, the pilgrim proceeds onward while remaining dedicated to fasting, indicating discipline and intensified devotional focus.
The verse implies that purification (snāna), reverent worship (arcana), and self-restraint (upavāsa) together form a coherent devotional ethic—outer ritual paired with inner discipline.