Shloka 65
The Destruction of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice
गंगाकूले तदा मुक्तो देहो वै क्रुद्धया तया । सौनकं नाम तत्तीर्थं गंगायाः पश्चिमे तटे
gaṃgākūle tadā mukto deho vai kruddhayā tayā | saunakaṃ nāma tattīrthaṃ gaṃgāyāḥ paścime taṭe
その後、ガンガーの岸辺にて、彼の身は彼女の怒りゆえに捨て去られた。その聖なる渡しは「サウナカ」と呼ばれ、ガンガーの西岸にある。
Narrator (contextual; explicit speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Concept: Even painful karmic turns become sanctified when they touch the Gaṅgā; place-memory (tīrtha) preserves dharmic lessons across ages.
Application: Treat sites of loss as occasions for purification rather than bitterness: perform śrāddha/charity, bathe with prayer, and convert grief into remembrance and restraint.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On the western bank of the Gaṅgā, a solemn river-ghāṭ holds the stillness after a fierce outburst of anger. A lifeless body lies near wet sand and lotus-strewn shallows while sages and unseen devas witness the moment that turns into a named tīrtha—Saunaka—marked by a simple stone shrine and drifting lamps.","primary_figures":["Gaṅgā-devī (personified river)","unnamed fallen figure (body cast off)","silent sages/ṛṣis as witnesses"],"setting":"Gaṅgā riverbank with a ford (tīrtha), steps of a ghāṭ, reeds, lotuses, a small marker-stone naming the place","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["river-silver","deep indigo","lotus pink","sandstone beige","lamp-gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Gaṅgā-devī rising from stylized waves at a western-bank ghāṭ, a solemn scene of a body laid near lotus-filled water, sages in prayerful poses, ornate gold-leaf halo around Gaṅgā-devī, rich vermilion and emerald garments, gem-studded jewelry, intricate temple-step patterns, a small gold-lettered plaque reading “Saunaka-tīrtha”.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet Gaṅgā ford under cool moonlight, delicate ripples and lotuses, slender sages with refined faces standing at a distance, the body near the sand, soft Himalayan-like atmospheric perspective, muted blues and greys with pink lotus accents, lyrical naturalism and fine brushwork.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, Gaṅgā-devī with large expressive eyes emerging from patterned waves, ghāṭ steps rendered as geometric bands, sages in ochre and green, limited natural pigments (red/yellow/green), a solemn tableau emphasizing sacred geography and ritual stillness.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Gaṅgā as a divine river with lotus motifs and ornate floral borders, rows of floating lamps, stylized ghāṭ architecture, peacocks near the bank, deep blue water with gold highlights, devotional atmosphere that frames the tīrtha-name “Saunaka” within intricate calligraphic cartouches."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing water","soft temple bells","night insects","distant conch shell","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गंगाकूले=गङ्गा-कूले (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); तत्तीर्थं=तत्-तीर्थम्; गंगायाः=गङ्गायाः
FAQs
It locates a specific tīrtha named “Saunaka” on the western bank of the river Gaṅgā, showing how the Padma Purāṇa maps holiness onto identifiable riverbanks and pilgrimage points.
Indirectly, it does so by highlighting the sanctity of Gaṅgā-tīrthas—places traditionally approached with devotion, reverence, and purificatory intent, which are common supports for bhakti-oriented practice.
The verse presents anger (krodha) as a force with grave consequences (even leading to the casting off of the body), implying the ethical need for restraint and accountability in speech and action.