Shloka 23
Merits of Vitastā, Devikā, Rudrakoṭī and Sarasvatī Sacred Fords
गोसहस्रफलं चैव प्राप्नुयाद्भरतर्षभ । कुमारकोटिमासाद्य नियतः कुरुनंदन
gosahasraphalaṃ caiva prāpnuyādbharatarṣabha | kumārakoṭimāsādya niyataḥ kurunaṃdana
Wahai banteng di antara Bharata, ia sungguh memperoleh pahala setara dengan (derma) seribu ekor sapi. Wahai putra kebanggaan Kuru, setelah mencapai pahala seumpama sepuluh juta kaum muda, ia tetap teguh dalam disiplin suci.
Unspecified (context-dependent narrator addressing a Kuru/Bharata prince)
Concept: Merit is amplified by niyama (disciplined observance); quantified phala language functions as a pedagogical tool to anchor faith and perseverance.
Application: Choose one discipline and keep it steadily (niyataḥ): regular bathing/cleanliness, charity, japa, or service—consistency matters more than occasional intensity.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A disciplined pilgrim stands after bathing, wringing out a simple cloth, while a sage gestures as if weighing invisible merit on a cosmic scale—one side marked by a thousand cows, the other by the pilgrim’s steady vow. In the background, youthful celestial attendants (kumāras) appear as a shimmering multitude, symbolizing the ‘koṭi’ attainment and the expansive fruit of niyama.","primary_figures":["disciplined pilgrim (niyataḥ)","sage narrator (Pulastya-like)","celestial kumāras (symbolic multitude)","Bhīṣma (as implied royal addressee)"],"setting":"Sacred ghāṭa with a small weighing-scale motif carved on a pillar, open sky with faint celestial figures, offerings placed on steps.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sunrise gold","milk white","sky cyan","sandalwood beige","crimson"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: sage instructing a Kuru prince at a ghāṭa, gold leaf used for a cosmic balance-scale motif and halos, symbolic thousand cows rendered as a decorative frieze, a radiant multitude of youthful celestials in the upper register, rich reds/greens, ornate borders and jewel-like detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined riverbank scene with a single disciplined pilgrim, subtle symbolic imagery of cows as small vignettes, airy sky filled with faint youthful celestial forms, cool yet luminous palette, delicate brushwork and lyrical composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, narrative panel showing ‘go-sahasra’ as stylized cow row, ‘kumāra-koṭi’ as repeating youthful figures, strong natural pigments, temple-wall symmetry and icon-like clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: decorative border with cow motifs and floral vines, central ghāṭa scene with a devotee in niyama, upper field filled with patterned youthful attendants like a constellation, deep blues and gold highlights, lotus motifs in water to keep devotional auspiciousness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["flowing water","soft bell","footsteps on stone steps","brief silence after phala statement"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गोसहस्रफलं = गो-सहस्र-फलम्; चैव = च एव; प्राप्नुयाद्भरतर्षभ = प्राप्नुयात् भरत-ऋषभ; कुमारकोटिमासाद्य = कुमार-कोटिम् आसाद्य; कुरुनंदन = कुरु-नन्दन
FAQs
It is a conventional Purāṇic measure of puṇya (religious merit), equating an act (often a vow, pilgrimage, or charity) to the merit of donating one thousand cows—an archetypal high-value gift.
These are honorific epithets commonly used for a Kuru/Bharata royal listener (often a Pāṇḍava-line figure in Purāṇic narration). The exact addressee depends on the surrounding verses and dialogue frame.
The verse highlights disciplined observance—self-restraint and faithful adherence to a vow or rule—as a key condition for attaining stated spiritual rewards.