Shloka 79
Pilgrimage Sequence on Sacred Fords (Narmadā Region): Bhṛgu-tīrtha, Śiva-vratas, and Merit Amplification
ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र शिखितीर्थमनुत्तमम् । तत्र वै दीयते दानं सर्वं कोटिगुणं भवेत्
tato gaccheta rājeṃdra śikhitīrthamanuttamam | tatra vai dīyate dānaṃ sarvaṃ koṭiguṇaṃ bhavet
Kemudian, wahai raja para raja, hendaklah pergi ke tirtha suci Śikhitīrtha yang tiada banding. Di sana, apa pun dana yang dipersembahkan menjadi berlipat hingga satu krore kali.
Not explicitly specified in the provided excerpt (likely a narrator/sage addressing a king: 'rājendra').
Concept: Charity offered in a sanctified context multiplies in spiritual efficacy; place and intention together amplify karma’s fruit.
Application: Give regularly; when possible, give in sacred or meaningful contexts (temples, service settings). Let ‘koṭi-guṇa’ be read as motivation to increase generosity, not as transactional bargaining.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At Śikhitīrtha’s ancient ford, a royal donor offers cloth, grain, and gold to humble recipients as priests chant beside a small shrine. The air itself seems to shimmer, and the gifts are mirrored in countless luminous reflections on the water—visualizing the ‘crore-fold’ multiplication of merit.","primary_figures":["royal donor (rājendra archetype)","brāhmaṇa priests","recipients (poor, pilgrims)"],"setting":"River ford with stone platform, donation pavilion (dāna-śālā), sacred fire altar, banyan tree, small shrine with flags.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["saffron","river blue","antique gold","stone gray","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Śikhitīrtha river ford with a royal donor presenting gifts to priests and the needy; gold leaf lavishly applied to coins, vessels, halos, and shrine ornaments; rich reds and greens, gem-studded jewelry, symmetrical composition with ornate pillars and traditional South Indian decorative borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate dāna scene by a calm river; the king seated on a carpeted platform, attendants holding baskets of gifts; priests and recipients in gentle gestures; delicate brushwork, soft blues and saffrons, refined faces, naturalistic trees and distant hills.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized donation pavilion with bold outlines; donor and recipients in formal profile; patterned river and shrine; strong ochre, green, vermilion, and blue palette with black contours, mural symmetry and ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Śikhitīrtha as a decorative riverside mandala; repeated motifs of gift vessels, lotus borders, peacocks; central donor figure framed by floral vines; deep blues and gold accents, intricate textile detailing to suggest multiplied merit."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["mantra chanting","coin clink","temple bells","river flow"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शिखितीर्थमनुत्तमम् = शिखितीर्थम् + अनुत्तमम्.
FAQs
It points to a named pilgrimage site—Śikhitīrtha—showing how the Svarga-khaṇḍa maps spiritual merit onto specific places, where visiting and ritual acts like dāna are said to yield amplified results.
It presents dāna as a central meritorious act and teaches that giving at a consecrated tīrtha carries heightened spiritual efficacy, described here as “koṭi-guṇa” (crore-fold multiplication).
By instructing a ruler, the verse frames generosity and support of religious giving as a royal and social virtue—encouraging leaders and laypeople alike to practice charity as a means of welfare and spiritual merit.