Shloka 39
The Greatness of the Kāliṇdī (Yamunā): Merit of Bathing, Charity, and Faith
प्रामादिकं च यत्पापं ज्ञानाज्ञानकृतं च यत् । स्नानमात्रेण नश्येत यमुनायां नृपोत्तम
prāmādikaṃ ca yatpāpaṃ jñānājñānakṛtaṃ ca yat | snānamātreṇa naśyeta yamunāyāṃ nṛpottama
हे नृपोत्तम! प्रमाद से किया हुआ जो पाप है, और जो जानकर या अनजान में किया गया है—यमुना में केवल स्नान करने मात्र से वह नष्ट हो जाता है।
Unspecified (addressing a king: nṛpottama)
Concept: Even inadvertent (prāmādika) and both knowing/unknowing sins are destroyed by mere Yamunā-snana.
Application: When mistakes occur through negligence, respond with humility and corrective practice: seek purification (literal pilgrimage when possible; otherwise remembrance and disciplined conduct), and renew vows of attentiveness.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At a bustling Yamunā ghat, a kingly figure removes his crown and steps into the river with folded hands, while commoners bathe nearby—signaling universal access. The water glows with a soft blue aura, and faint script-like wisps representing ‘pramāda’ and ‘ajñāna’ dissolve into the current.","primary_figures":["Yamunā-devī (river goddess, subtle or anthropomorphic)","king (nṛpottama)","pilgrims and devotees"],"setting":"Yamunā river ghat with steps, small Krishna shrine, kadamba trees, distant temple spires of Braj.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["peacock blue","sunrise gold","kadamba green","sandstone beige","vermillion"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Yamunā-devī as a regal goddess rising from the river with gold leaf aura; a humbled king at the ghat offering añjali; ornate Krishna shrine on the steps, rich reds/greens, heavy jewelry, embossed gold ripples on the water, lotus and conch borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: serene Braj riverbank with kadamba trees; a king and villagers bathing together; delicate watercolor ripples, cool blues and soft gold sky, refined faces, small Krishna temple silhouette in the distance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized Yamunā-devī with bold outlines, large expressive eyes; the king in traditional attire at the river steps; flat fields of blue-green water, red-yellow highlights, rhythmic decorative patterns on the ghat stones and shrine arch.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Yamunā rendered as a lotus-filled blue expanse; central ghat with devotees; Krishna symbols (flute, peacock feather) subtly integrated; intricate floral borders, deep blues with gold detailing, peacocks perched on the steps."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["flowing water","ghat bells","conch shell","soft crowd murmur","distant temple kirtan"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yatpāpam → yat pāpam; jñānājñānakṛtam → jñāna-ajñāna-kṛtam; snānamātreṇa → snāna-mātreṇa.
FAQs
It presents the Yamunā as a purifying sacred ford where even sins from negligence, and actions done knowingly or unknowingly, are said to be destroyed simply through bathing.
Yes. It explicitly includes both jñāna-kṛta (done knowingly) and ajñāna-kṛta (done unknowingly), indicating the scope of purification extends across intention and ignorance.
While it praises tīrtha-bathing as expiatory, the verse also highlights pramāda (carelessness) as a key source of wrongdoing—implying vigilance and moral attention are important even when remedies exist.