Shloka 10
Account of Various Sacred Tīrthas
Pilgrimage Merits and Prayāga Supremacy
ऋषभं तीर्थमासाद्य कोशलायां नराधिप । वाजिमेधमवाप्नोति त्रिरात्रोपोषितो नरः
ṛṣabhaṃ tīrthamāsādya kośalāyāṃ narādhipa | vājimedhamavāpnoti trirātropoṣito naraḥ
ឱ ព្រះមហាក្សត្រ! កាលបានទៅដល់ទីរថៈបរិសុទ្ធឈ្មោះ Ṛṣabha នៅកោសលា បុរសដែលអនុវត្តអុបវាសបីយប់ នឹងទទួលបានបុណ្យផលស្មើនឹងអશ્વមេធ។
Unspecified narrator addressing a king (narādhipa) within the chapter’s dialogue context
Concept: Tapas at a tīrtha magnifies merit: restrained living (upavāsa) combined with sacred geography yields transformative puṇya.
Application: Adopt periodic short fasts (with health-appropriate limits) alongside pilgrimage/temple visits; keep speech truthful and mind steady for the duration (trirātra).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A weary but radiant pilgrim arrives at Ṛṣabha-tīrtha in the Kosala plains, hands folded, having completed a three-night fast. The ford glows with sanctity—lotuses drift on still water, and a small riverside altar bears lamps and offerings, suggesting the unseen equivalence to an Aśvamedha.","primary_figures":["Pilgrim (fasting devotee)","Local tīrtha-devatā/guardian deity (subtle)","Narrator-voice figure addressing a king (optional courtly silhouette)"],"setting":"River ford with stone steps (ghāṭa), banyan and aśvattha trees, modest shrine with Viṣṇu emblem","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit at twilight transitioning to serene night","color_palette":["deep indigo","lamp-gold","lotus pink","sandstone beige","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Kosala ghāṭa scene with a fasting pilgrim (trirātra-upavāsa) before a small Viṣṇu shrine, gold leaf aura over the tīrtha waters, ornate lamps, rich maroon and emerald garments on attendant figures, stylized lotuses, gem-like highlights on ritual vessels.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle riverbank with pale steps, delicate trees, pilgrim seated in meditation after fasting, cool blues and soft greens, refined facial features, minimal architecture, lyrical stillness of water with lotus clusters.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, warm ochres and reds, stylized ghāṭa and shrine, pilgrim with folded hands, rhythmic lotus patterns, sacred aura rendered as concentric bands around the water.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical ghāṭa with lotus border, central shrine motif, rows of lamps, peacocks at the edges, deep blue field with gold detailing, devotional text-like cartouches framing ‘Ṛṣabha-tīrtha’."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","night insects","gentle water lapping","distant conch shell","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तीर्थमासाद्य = तीर्थम् + आसाद्य; वाजिमेधमवाप्नोति = वाजिमेधम् + अवाप्नोति; त्रिरात्रोपोषितो = त्रिरात्र + उपोषितः (विसर्ग-लोप/स्वर-सन्धि)
FAQs
It places the Ṛṣabha-tīrtha within Kośalā, indicating a mapped sacred landscape where specific regions are associated with particular pilgrimage sites and their promised spiritual merits.
By elevating a simple vow—reaching a tīrtha and fasting for three nights—to the fruit of a major Vedic royal sacrifice, the verse highlights accessible devotional/ritual acts for ordinary people as spiritually potent alternatives to costly rites.
The verse teaches that discipline and self-restraint (upoṣa/fasting), combined with reverence for sacred places, can yield profound spiritual benefit—encouraging humility and sincere practice over mere display of wealth or power.