Shloka 13
The Glory of the Brāhmaṇa
Brāhmaṇa-Mahimā and Pādodaka Merit
स स्नातः सर्वतीर्थेषु स मुक्तः सर्वपातकैः । शृणु शौनक वक्ष्यामि माहात्म्यं पापनाशनम्
sa snātaḥ sarvatīrtheṣu sa muktaḥ sarvapātakaiḥ | śṛṇu śaunaka vakṣyāmi māhātmyaṃ pāpanāśanam
അവൻ സർവ്വതീർത്ഥങ്ങളിലും സ്നാനം ചെയ്തവനുപോലെ; അവൻ എല്ലാ പാതകങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നും മോചിതൻ. ഹേ ശൗനകാ, കേൾക്കുക—പാപനാശകമായ മഹാത്മ്യം ഞാൻ പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു।
Unspecified narrator addressing Śaunaka (likely a sage in dialogue context)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स स्नातः = सः + स्नातः; सर्वतीर्थेषु (समास) = सर्व + तीर्थेषु; पापनाशनम् (समास) = पाप + नाशनम्.
FAQs
It equates attentive hearing of a sin-destroying sacred glorification (māhātmya) with the purifying merit of bathing at all pilgrimage sites, implying śravaṇa (listening) itself can confer purification.
Literally “bathed in all tīrthas,” it functions as a hyperbolic marker of complete ritual purification, often used to praise a practice (here, listening to the māhātmya) as spiritually equivalent to extensive pilgrimage.
It encourages sincere listening and receptivity to sacred instruction, presenting inner transformation through dharmic teaching as a powerful and accessible means of purification, not dependent solely on physical travel.