Shloka 51
Account of Various Sacred Tīrthas
Pilgrimage Merits and Prayāga Supremacy
तदरण्यं प्रविष्टस्य तुंगकं राजसत्तम । पापं विनश्यते सद्यः स्त्रिया वै पुरुषस्य वा
tadaraṇyaṃ praviṣṭasya tuṃgakaṃ rājasattama | pāpaṃ vinaśyate sadyaḥ striyā vai puruṣasya vā
王の中の最勝者よ、その森――トゥンガカ（Tuṅgaka）――にひとたび入れば、女であれ男であれ、罪はただちに滅び去る。
Unspecified (narrator addressing a king: 'rājasattama')
Concept: Certain sacred spaces carry such concentrated puṇya that contact (darśana/pravēśa) itself becomes a purifier.
Application: Seek environments that elevate conduct—temples, satsanga, pilgrimage; also ‘enter the forest’ inwardly by stepping into disciplined simplicity.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dense, ancient forest named Tuṅgaka opens like a natural temple: towering trees form an archway, and a faint path glimmers with sacred dust. A traveler—gender-neutral in depiction or shown as both a woman and a man—steps across the threshold as dark, smoky forms symbolizing sin dissolve into light, while unseen devas scatter blossoms from above.","primary_figures":["Pilgrim (woman)","Pilgrim (man)","Forest guardian presence (yakṣa/deva, subtle)","Sages (distant, optional)"],"setting":"Sacred forest entrance with natural torana of vines, a quiet clearing, and a barely visible shrine-stone or ancient altar under a banyan.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["deep forest green","sunlit gold","earth brown","mist white","lapis blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: stylized forest as ornate backdrop with gold-leaf highlights on leaves; central threshold where two pilgrims step in; sin depicted as dark swirling motifs breaking apart into gold specks; small hidden shrine with gold halo; rich reds/greens and embossed gold patterns on garments and foliage.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical woodland with delicate leaves and birds; soft shafts of light; a pilgrim stepping into the grove as shadowy pāpa-clouds fade; distant hermitage hinted with a tiny fire and hut; cool greens and gentle blues with refined facial features.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines of massive trees forming a gateway; pilgrim figures in iconic posture; pāpa as stylized black serpentine forms dissolving into yellow aura; strong red-yellow-green palette, temple-wall compositional symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: forest rendered with repeating lotus-leaf motifs and floral borders; central path into Tuṅgaka; peacocks and cows at the edges as auspicious signs; deep indigo background with gold vines, sin shown as dark motifs transforming into lotus petals."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["rustling leaves","birdsong","distant temple bell","soft conch shell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तदरण्यम् = तत् + अरण्यम्; राजसत्तम = राजन् + सत्तम (कर्मधारय); ‘स्त्रिया ... पुरुषस्य वा’ विकल्पार्थे
FAQs
It teaches the purifying power of a sacred place (Tuṅgaka forest): mere entry is said to destroy sin immediately.
No. It explicitly states the benefit applies equally to women and men.
A kṣetra/tīrtha-māhātmya-style statement—praising a sacred locale by describing its immediate merit and purificatory effect.