Shloka 14
Praise of the Merits of Sacred Ponds, Tree-Planting, and Water-Charities
स्नात्वाश्वत्थं स्पृशेद्यस्तु सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते । अस्नातो यः स्पृशेन्मर्त्यो लभते स्नानजं फलम्
snātvāśvatthaṃ spṛśedyastu sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate | asnāto yaḥ spṛśenmartyo labhate snānajaṃ phalam
Quiconque, après s’être baigné, touche le saint aśvattha (pipal) est délivré de tous les péchés. Et le mortel qui le touche même sans bain obtient le mérite issu du bain rituel.
Not specified in the provided extract (contextual narration within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa).
Concept: Sacred contact (darśana/sparśa) with a Viṣṇu-associated locus purifies pāpa and can substitute for formal rites when access is limited.
Application: When full ritual bathing is not possible, approach a sacred aśvattha with cleanliness of intention; touch the trunk/roots mindfully, offer a brief prayer, and resolve to avoid harmful actions.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At a quiet village edge, a massive aśvattha spreads its heart-shaped leaves, shimmering in a soft breeze. A devotee, hair still wet from bathing, touches the trunk with folded hands; beside him another traveler, dusty from the road, touches the same bark and feels a sudden inner clarity, as if a river’s purity flowed through wood and skin.","primary_figures":["aśvattha tree (as sacred presence)","Viṣṇu (subtle aura/antaryāmin presence)","two human devotees"],"setting":"rural shrine beneath the aśvattha with a small stone platform, clay lamps, and a water pot; distant fields and a faint path","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["leaf green","earth brown","saffron ochre","river-silver","lamp-flame gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a monumental aśvattha on a raised pedestal with gold-leaf halo motifs around the trunk, a subtle Viṣṇu aura suggested in the foliage, devotees in traditional attire touching the bark; rich vermilion and emerald background panels, ornate borders, gem-studded lamp and kalasha details.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical countryside with a broad-canopied pipal, delicate leaf detailing, two pilgrims—one freshly bathed, one travel-worn—touching the trunk; cool morning haze, refined faces, gentle narrative intimacy, distant river line and soft hills.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined aśvattha with stylized leaves, a faint Viṣṇu presence indicated by a blue aura within the canopy, devotees in profile with añjali; temple-lamp elements, natural pigment palette with dominant greens, reds, and yellows.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central aśvattha framed by lotus and creeper borders, small lamps and floral offerings at the base, peacocks perched on branches, a subtle Śrīvatsa-like motif in the foliage hinting Viṣṇu’s presence; deep indigo ground with gold highlights."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["rustling leaves","soft temple bell","distant birds","gentle silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्नात्वाश्वत्थं = स्नात्वा + अश्वत्थम्; स्पृशेद्यः = स्पृशेत् + यः; स्पृशेन्मर्त्यो = स्पृशेत् + मर्त्यः
FAQs
It recommends touching the aśvattha (pipal) tree—ideally after bathing—and states that this act confers purification and religious merit.
It presents the aśvattha as intrinsically purifying: touching it after bathing removes sins, and touching it even without bathing yields the merit of bathing.
The verse emphasizes accessible piety: even when ideal ritual conditions are absent, reverent contact with a sacred symbol (the aśvattha) is portrayed as spiritually beneficial.