Shloka 85
Account of Various Sacred Tīrthas
Pilgrimage Merits and Prayāga Supremacy
यद्यकार्यशतं कृत्वा कृतं गंगावसेवनम् । सर्वं तत्तस्य गंगापो दहत्यग्निरिवेंधनम्
yadyakāryaśataṃ kṛtvā kṛtaṃ gaṃgāvasevanam | sarvaṃ tattasya gaṃgāpo dahatyagniriveṃdhanam
Even if one has committed hundreds of wrongful acts, once one has undertaken service and taken refuge in the Gaṅgā, the waters of the Gaṅgā burn away all of that—like fire consuming fuel.
Unspecified (narratorial verse within Svargakhaṇḍa context)
Concept: Sincere turning toward the sacred (Gaṅgā-sevana) can incinerate accumulated demerit, like fire consuming fuel.
Application: When burdened by past mistakes, adopt a concrete purification practice: regular prayer, truthful living, charity, and if possible sacred bathing—paired with resolve not to repeat harm.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A penitent pilgrim kneels at the Gaṅgā’s edge, hands cupped in añjali, while translucent dark smoke—symbolizing past wrongs—rises from the body and dissolves into a bright, flame-like aura hovering over the water. The river appears as living light, with tiny lamps and marigolds drifting downstream, suggesting mercy that does not deny justice but transforms it.","primary_figures":["Gaṅgā Devī (subtle presence in the water)","penitent pilgrim","brāhmaṇa guide (optional)"],"setting":"Quiet Gaṅgā ghāṭa with stone steps, offerings of flowers and lamps, distant temple silhouette","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["midnight blue","lamp-amber","smoke gray","river-turquoise","marigold orange"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Gaṅgā Devī with gold halo emerging from stylized waves, a repentant devotee offering arghya, sin depicted as dark motifs burning away into gold-leaf flames, ornate ghāṭa architecture, rich crimson and emerald accents, embossed gold borders and jewel-like ornamentation.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate riverside repentance scene, delicate ripples and floating diyas, soft twilight sky, subtle visual metaphor of smoke dissolving into light, fine brushwork and gentle gradients, understated devotional emotion on the pilgrim’s face.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: symbolic depiction—dark pāpa forms as stylized black shapes consumed by red-gold flame patterns above the river band, Gaṅgā Devī iconized with bold outlines, rhythmic borders, natural pigment palette and temple-wall composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Gaṅgā rendered as a decorative lotus river with rows of lamps, central devotee in añjali, floral borders heavy with marigolds, sin shown as fading dark floral motifs replaced by gold lotuses, deep indigo ground with intricate gold detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["flowing water","soft bells","distant mantra","night insects","silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यद्यकार्यशतम् = यदि + अकार्यशतम् (स्वर-सन्धि). दहत्यग्निरिवेंधनम् = दहति + अग्निः + इव + इन्धनम् (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि: दहति+अग्निः→दहत्यग्निः; इव+इन्धनम्→इवेंधनम्).
FAQs
It praises gaṅgā-vasevana—resorting to and serving the Gaṅgā (pilgrimage, reverent bathing, and devotional attendance).
Sincere engagement with a sacred tirtha, especially the Gaṅgā, is presented as a powerful means of purification that can eradicate even extensive wrongdoing.
It conveys total consumption: just as fire fully burns fuel, the Gaṅgā’s waters are said to burn away accumulated demerit (pāpa) completely.