Shloka 20
ततो गच्छेत कावेरीं वृतामृप्सरसां गणैः । तत्र स्नात्वा नरो राजन्गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
tato gaccheta kāverīṃ vṛtāmṛpsarasāṃ gaṇaiḥ | tatra snātvā naro rājangosahasraphalaṃ labhet
પછી અપ્સરાગણોથી ઘેરાયેલી કાવેરી પાસે જવું જોઈએ. હે રાજન, ત્યાં સ્નાન કરનાર પુરુષ સહસ્ર ગૌદાન સમાન ફળ પ્રાપ્ત કરે છે।
Unspecified in provided excerpt (likely a Purāṇic narrator addressing a king within a tīrtha-māhātmya context)
Concept: Snāna at a sanctified river, done with śraddhā, grants dāna-phala and cleanses subtle impurities.
Application: When visiting rivers, bathe with mantra/japa, avoid pollution, offer water to ancestors/deities, and cultivate charity-mindedness (the ‘go-sahasra’ spirit) even if one cannot materially donate.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The Kāverī flows broad and luminous, its surface strewn with lotus petals and shimmering like molten silver. Apsaras hover in graceful arcs above the riverbank, scattering flowers as a pilgrim steps into the water with folded hands, while distant temple gopurams and palm groves frame the sacred bath.","primary_figures":["pilgrim devotee","apsaras (celestial nymphs)","river goddess Kāverī (personified)"],"setting":"riverbank with ghats, palm trees, distant South Indian temple towers, offering lamps floating on water","lighting_mood":"moonlit with divine radiance","color_palette":["pearl white","river teal","lotus pink","lamp-flame amber","deep indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: personified Goddess Kāverī seated on a lotus over flowing waves, apsaras with gold jewelry and silk, the pilgrim at stone ghats offering arghya; lavish gold leaf on crowns and halos, rich reds/greens, ornate temple gopuram backdrop, jeweled borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: serene river scene with delicate apsaras in airy poses, soft moonlight, fine ripples, the pilgrim waist-deep in water; cool palette, lyrical trees, subtle architectural hints, refined facial features and gentle expressions.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; Kāverī-devī with large eyes and elaborate ornaments; apsaras in rhythmic formation; stylized waves and lotus clusters; warm earthy reds and yellows with green accents, temple-wall aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Kāverī as a central lotus-throned goddess, surrounded by concentric floral borders; apsaras as symmetrical attendants; floating diyas and lotuses; deep blues and gold, intricate vine motifs, devotional ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing water","temple bells","birds at riverbank","soft veena drone","conch shell (ritual start)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: rājan + go-sahasra-phalam → rājangosahasraphalam (final -n before g); vṛtā + apsarasām → vṛtām apsarasām (anusvāra before vowel in some recensions).
FAQs
It states that bathing in the Kāverī grants merit equal to the religious fruit of gifting a thousand cows (go-sahasra-phala).
Their presence poetically marks the river as celestial and highly sanctified, implying that the tīrtha is honored even in divine realms.
The verse promotes tīrtha-oriented piety and encourages accessible religious practice—devout bathing at a sacred river is presented as a powerful means of accruing merit comparable to costly charity.