Shloka 129
The Tale of the Five Pretas and the Glory of Puṣkara & the Eastern Sarasvatī
दत्तं श्राद्धं तत्र तेन मार्कंडेयेन दर्शिते । तत्र वापी चतुःकोणा तत्र पिंडप्रदा नराः
dattaṃ śrāddhaṃ tatra tena mārkaṃḍeyena darśite | tatra vāpī catuḥkoṇā tatra piṃḍapradā narāḥ
そこはマールカンデーヤが示した場所であり、そこでシュラッダ（śrāddha）が執り行われた。さらに四角の階段井戸があり、人々はそこで亡き者のためにピンダを供える。
Narratorial voice within the ongoing adhyaya (exact dialogue-speaker not explicit in this verse alone)
Concept: Pitṛ-kārya performed at a sanctified locus gains heightened efficacy; place (deśa) can amplify dharmic action.
Application: Maintain regular remembrance of ancestors (tarpaṇa/śrāddha as appropriate), and when traveling, seek authentic pitṛ-tīrthas for offerings; cultivate gratitude to lineage as part of spiritual discipline.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene tīrtha revealed by sage Mārkaṇḍeya: a perfectly four-cornered stepwell with stone steps descending into still, dark-blue water. On the bank, householders in white perform śrāddha, placing piṇḍas on darbha-grass while incense smoke rises in thin spirals.","primary_figures":["Sage Mārkaṇḍeya","śrāddha-performing householders","pitṛs (subtle, translucent presence)"],"setting":"Sacred grove beside a geometrical stepwell (catuḥkoṇā vāpī), with darbha grass, śrāddha vessels, and quiet birds perched on banyan branches.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sandstone ochre","darbha green","smoke gray","deep indigo water","ivory white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Mārkaṇḍeya standing in blessing gesture beside a four-cornered stepwell; devotees offering piṇḍas on darbha; subtle pitṛ-figures in the background; heavy gold leaf halos, rich vermilion and emerald accents, ornate borders, gem-like highlights on ritual vessels.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet riverside-grove scene centered on a square stepwell; delicate figures seated in śrāddha posture; soft morning mist, fine linework on darbha and vessels; cool natural palette with lyrical trees and distant hills.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined Mārkaṇḍeya with expressive eyes, stylized square vāpī with patterned steps; ritual items rendered iconically; warm red-yellow-green pigments, temple-wall symmetry, decorative floral margins.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a devotional tīrtha tableau with lotus motifs around the square vāpī; ornate floral borders; peacocks on the grove edge; devotees offering piṇḍas; deep blues and gold detailing, intricate textile-like patterning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","rustling leaves","low conch drone","distant birds","gentle water echo from the stepwell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मार्कंडेयेन = मार्कण्डेयेन; पिंडप्रदा = पिण्डप्रदाः; ‘ब्रह्मणो’ इत्यादि नास्ति। ‘दर्शिते’ इति सप्तमी-एकवचनं लोकेटिव-अब्सोल्यूट रूपेण गृह्यते।
FAQs
It links a specific sacred site to identifiable features—especially a quadrangular vāpī (stepwell/tank)—showing how tīrthas are described through ritual use (śrāddha, piṇḍadāna) and physical landmarks.
Indirectly: it highlights reverent duty toward ancestors through śrāddha and piṇḍadāna, presenting devotion as expressed through prescribed sacred actions at holy places rather than through abstract doctrine in this line.
The verse underscores pitṛ-ṛṇa (responsibility toward forebears): one should honor lineage and the departed through proper rites performed in sanctified contexts, guided by trustworthy sages like Mārkaṇḍeya.