Shloka 21
Account of Various Sacred Tīrthas
Pilgrimage Merits and Prayāga Supremacy
तत्र तीर्थे समुद्रस्य कन्यातीर्थमुपस्पृशेत् । तत्रोपस्पृश्य राजेंद्र सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
tatra tīrthe samudrasya kanyātīrthamupaspṛśet | tatropaspṛśya rājeṃdra sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate
Allí, en ese lugar de peregrinación del océano, debe bañarse en el Kanyā-tīrtha. Al bañarse allí, oh rey de reyes, queda libre de todos los pecados.
Unspecified (narrator addressing a king, indicated by 'rājendra')
Concept: Contact with a potent tīrtha, especially oceanic snāna, can dissolve accumulated sin when paired with right intention.
Application: Use pilgrimages as moments of ethical reset: confess faults inwardly, take vows of non-harm and truth, and follow snāna with charity and nāma-japa to stabilize the purification.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At the edge of the roaring ocean, a stone tīrtha-platform meets foaming waves under a vast sky. The pilgrim enters the surf at Kanyā-tīrtha, hands raised in prayer as the horizon glows; unseen divine forces seem to lift a dark veil of sin, leaving the scene calm and luminous after the bath.","primary_figures":["pilgrim devotee","tīrtha-guardian deity (subtle)","ocean personified (Samudra-deva, optional)"],"setting":"sea-shore ghat with carved steps, conch offerings, wind-tossed flags, distant coastal shrine","lighting_mood":"storm-cleared twilight with sacred glow","color_palette":["sea green","foam white","sunset copper","slate blue","sandalwood beige"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Kanyā-tīrtha on a grand coastal ghat; stylized waves with gold highlights; the pilgrim in añjali; a small shrine with lamps; gold leaf on wave crests and halos, rich maroons and greens, ornate borders with conch and lotus motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: expansive seascape with delicate wave lines, soft twilight gradient, the pilgrim at the shoreline; refined minimal architecture, lyrical clouds, gentle gold accents on ritual vessels.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; dramatic stylized ocean with rhythmic curls; the pilgrim and a subtle Samudra-deva figure; warm reds/yellows contrasted with deep blues/greens, temple mural texture.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical ocean-lotus border framing a central shoreline tīrtha; conch motifs, floral garlands, and peacocks near a coastal shrine; deep indigo sea with gold patterning, intricate decorative margins."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["ocean waves","conch shell","temple bells (faint)","wind through flags","brief silence after cadence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कन्यातीर्थम् + उपस्पृशेत् → कन्यातीर्थमुपस्पृशेत्; तत्र + उपस्पृश्य → तत्रोपस्पृश्य; राजेन्द्र इति सम्बोधनपदम्; सर्वपापैः इति समासपदम्।
FAQs
It praises Kanyā-tīrtha, a sacred bathing place associated with the ocean, stating that ritual bathing there grants release from all sins.
The verse recommends upaspṛśa—ritual contact with sacred water, i.e., bathing/ablution at the tīrtha.
It underscores the purifying power of tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) and sacred bathing as a means of moral and spiritual cleansing when performed with reverence.