Shloka 18
Narmadā Māhātmya with the Praise of Amarakantaka Tīrthas
धनवान्दानशीलश्च धार्मिकश्चैव जायते । पुनः स्मरति तत्तीर्थं गमनं तत्र कुर्वते
dhanavāndānaśīlaśca dhārmikaścaiva jāyate | punaḥ smarati tattīrthaṃ gamanaṃ tatra kurvate
वह धनवान, दानशील और सच्चा धर्मात्मा होकर जन्म लेता है; फिर उस तीर्थ को स्मरण करके पुनः वहाँ जाने की यात्रा करता है।
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from Svarga-khaṇḍa 3.13 to confirm the dialogue frame).
Concept: Merit ripens into wealth, generosity, and righteousness, and even into renewed attraction to the same tīrtha—suggesting saṃskāra continuity across lifetimes.
Application: Use prosperity for charity and dharma; revisit sacred places or practices that previously elevated you; cultivate ‘smaraṇa’ (remembrance) of what makes you spiritually better.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a prosperous household courtyard, a noble-born devotee distributes gifts to the needy—grain, cloth, and coins—his face lit by quiet righteousness. In the background, a dreamlike vision of the same sacred ford appears like a memory-window, and the devotee turns toward it, beginning a new journey with a staff and water pot.","primary_figures":["wealthy righteous devotee (reborn)","recipients of charity","a subtle visionary tīrtha apparition"],"setting":"prosperous Indian courtyard with carved pillars; road leading out toward a distant river-ghāṭ seen in a memory-vision","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["warm amber","ivory","turquoise","marigold orange","earth brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central dāna scene in a pillared courtyard with gold leaf highlights on ornaments and coins; a small inset ‘vision’ panel showing the tīrtha with shimmering gold water; rich crimson and green textiles, ornate borders, devotional iconographic clarity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate courtyard charity with delicate gestures and refined faces; soft architectural detail; a translucent riverbank vision in the sky like a painted cloud; gentle earth tones with cool turquoise accents.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, rhythmic arrangement of donors and recipients; patterned garments; the tīrtha vision as a stylized circular vignette; warm reds/yellows/greens with temple-wall texture.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: elaborate floral borders and lotus motifs; central figure giving dāna; peacocks near the threshold; a stylized blue river-ghāṭ vision framed by lotuses; deep blues and gold with intricate textile ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft handbells","charity recipients’ murmurs","footsteps departing","distant river sound","conch (gentle)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धनवान्+दानशीलः+च → धनवान्दानशीलश्च; धार्मिकः+च+एव → धार्मिकश्चैव; तत्+तीर्थम् → तत्तीर्थम्; क्षेत्रपालान्+परिव्रजेत् (अगले श्लोक में) जैसे संधि-विच्छेद के अनुरूप यहाँ पद-विभाग किया गया।
FAQs
It presents pilgrimage as generating lasting merit: in a future birth one gains prosperity, charitable disposition, and dharmic character, and even feels a renewed impulse to revisit the same sacred place.
Wealth is framed as meaningful when accompanied by dāna (generosity) and dharma (righteous conduct), suggesting prosperity as a supportive condition for ethical living rather than an end in itself.
Cultivate generosity and righteousness; sacred actions (like tīrtha-visits) are portrayed as shaping character across lifetimes, leading one repeatedly toward virtuous choices.