Shloka 49
The Glory of Śrāddha at Sacred Fords and the Determination of the Kutapa Time
तीर्थं तद्धव्यकव्यानामप्सरोगणसंयुतम् । श्राद्धाग्नि दानकार्यं च तत्र कोटिशताधिकम्
tīrthaṃ taddhavyakavyānāmapsarogaṇasaṃyutam | śrāddhāgni dānakāryaṃ ca tatra koṭiśatādhikam
ആ തീർത്ഥം അപ്സരാഗണങ്ങളാൽ സമന്വിതവും ദേവർക്കുള്ള ഹവ്യാർപ്പണത്തിനും പിതൃക്കുള്ള കവ്യാർപ്പണത്തിനും ശ്രാദ്ധത്തിനും അതിവിശേഷ ഫലപ്രദവുമാണ്; അവിടെ ശ്രാദ്ധം, അഗ്നികർമ്മം, ദാനം എന്നിവയുടെ പുണ്യം നൂറുകോടികളെക്കാളും അധികമായി വർധിക്കുന്നു।
Unspecified (narrative voice within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa context)
Concept: Ritual duty—especially pitṛ-tarpaṇa/śrāddha, agni maintenance, and dāna—becomes extraordinarily fruitful when aligned with sacred place and right intention.
Application: Honor ancestors regularly (simple tarpaṇa, remembrance, charity in their name); keep a ‘household fire’ of discipline—daily prayer, ethical livelihood, and generosity.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A luminous ford thrums with unseen sanctity as Apsarās hover like shimmering presences above the river-mist. On the ghat, householders and priests perform śrāddha—tilodaka, piṇḍa offerings, and quiet mantras—while a steady ritual fire burns, and baskets of charity are distributed to the needy.","primary_figures":["Brāhmaṇa priests","Householders performing śrāddha","Apsarā-gaṇa (celestial attendants)","Agni (ritual fire personified subtly)"],"setting":"River ghat with śrāddha platforms, kuśa grass, vessels of water and sesame, small fire-altar, nearby shrine","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit merging into river-mist radiance","color_palette":["smoke-gray","ghee-gold","pearl white","indigo blue","vermillion"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: grand ghat scene with a central homa-kuṇḍa blazing in gold leaf, priests offering piṇḍa and tilodaka, Apsarās in jeweled attire floating above with ornate halos, rich crimson and emerald textiles, heavy gold embellishment on vessels and ornaments, symmetrical devotional composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate śrāddha tableau on a quiet riverbank, delicate lines for kuśa grass and ripples, translucent Apsarā silhouettes in the sky, soft indigo wash, refined faces, gentle narrative realism with lyrical atmosphere.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized Agni with bold outlines, priests in traditional posture, Apsarās as patterned celestial forms, strong red/yellow/green palette, temple-wall aesthetic with decorative borders and iconographic clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate border of lotus and sesame motifs, central ghat framed like a shrine-arch, repeated patterns of offering bowls and lamps, celestial dancers above in rhythmic symmetry, deep blues with gold detailing, devotional abundance."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["crackling ritual fire","low Vedic chanting","flowing water","soft ankle-bells (celestial)","temple bells"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तद्धव्यकव्यानाम् = तत् + हव्यकव्यानाम्; अप्सरोगणसंयुतम् = अप्सरः-गण-संयुतम्; कोटिशताधिकम् = कोटि-शत-अधिकम्.
FAQs
It presents the tīrtha as a spiritually charged place where core Vedic-Puranic duties—offerings to gods and ancestors, śrāddha observances, tending sacred fire, and charity—yield greatly amplified merit.
Havya refers to offerings made to the deities (typically via fire rites), while kavya refers to offerings directed to the ancestors (pitṛs), commonly associated with śrāddha rituals.
It elevates generosity, reverence for ancestors, and disciplined ritual responsibility—teaching that sacred places are meant to intensify dharmic action rather than replace it.