Shloka 35
Merits of Vitastā, Devikā, Rudrakoṭī and Sarasvatī Sacred Fords
ऋषीणां यत्र सत्राणि समाप्तानि नराधिप । तत्रावसानमासाद्य गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
ṛṣīṇāṃ yatra satrāṇi samāptāni narādhipa | tatrāvasānamāsādya gosahasraphalaṃ labhet
王よ、聖仙たちのサトラ祭（サトラ・ヤジュニャ）が成就して終わったその地で、その聖なる終結の地点に至る者は、千頭の牛を布施するに等しい功徳を得る。
Unspecified narrator addressing a king (narādhipa) (likely within a Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue frame in the Svarga-khaṇḍa).
Concept: Contact with places sanctified by sustained collective sacrifice yields great puṇya; honoring ṛṣi-labor is itself a dharmic act.
Application: Finish what you begin: complete vows, projects, and disciplines—‘avāsāna’ (completion) is itself spiritually potent; also support communal sacred work (temples, study, charity).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A quiet clearing holds the remnants of a grand satra: extinguished altars, neatly arranged bricks, and a final offering platform marked as the ‘avāsāna’. A pilgrim bows at the completion-point while translucent visions of ancient sages appear—hands raised in benediction—suggesting the stored merit of their long sacrifice.","primary_figures":["ancient ṛṣis (visionary)","a pilgrim king (narādhipa)","ritual priests (subtle/optional)"],"setting":"Forest-edge yajña-śālā with multiple fire-altars, kusa grass, ladles, and a marked concluding spot; serene trees and distant hermitages.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled, late-afternoon calm","color_palette":["smoke gray","sandalwood beige","leaf green","copper ember","ochre"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: sacred yajña-śālā with multiple altars and a highlighted avāsāna platform, visionary sages with gold leaf halos, the king offering flowers, rich earthy reds and greens, embossed gold detailing on ritual vessels and altar borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tranquil forest sacrificial ground with delicate brick patterns, soft shadows, ethereal sages appearing like pale watercolor silhouettes, refined gestures of blessing, muted greens and ochres with ember-copper accents.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: symmetrical altar layout, bold outlines of ritual implements, sages in iconic poses with large expressive eyes, warm red/yellow/green palette, the avāsāna point emphasized by a circular mandala motif.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate border of sacred flora, central yajña-altar composition with stylized flames and lotus motifs, the pilgrim at the avāsāna point, intricate patterning on bricks and vessels, deep indigo background with gold highlights."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft crackle of embers","wind in trees","distant Vedic chanting","gentle bell","long pauses"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्रावसानमासाद्य = तत्र + अवसानम् + आसाद्य (अ + आ → आ; म् + आ → मा).
FAQs
It teaches that a site where ṛṣis have completed satra-yajñas becomes highly meritorious; merely reaching the concluding point of those rites grants great puṇya.
Go-dāna (gift of cows) is a classical benchmark of high merit in Dharma literature; the verse uses it as a standard measure to express the extraordinary spiritual reward of the tirtha.
It encourages reverence for sacred geography shaped by ascetic and ritual practice, and suggests that honoring such places (through pilgrimage and remembrance) is a potent, accessible form of dharma.