Shloka 120
Right Conduct, Offenses Against Brāhmaṇas, Truthfulness, and the Greatness of the Cow
Go-Māhātmya
अमूषु पूजयेद्यस्तु सितैश्चित्रादिभिर्नरः । कज्जलैः कुसुमैस्तैलैः सोक्षयं स्वर्गमश्नुते
amūṣu pūjayedyastu sitaiścitrādibhirnaraḥ | kajjalaiḥ kusumaistailaiḥ sokṣayaṃ svargamaśnute
ആ പവിത്രരൂപങ്ങളെ ശ്വേതദ്രവ്യങ്ങളാലും ചിത്രാദികളാലും കാജൽ, പുഷ്പങ്ങൾ, തൈലം എന്നിവയാലും പൂജിക്കുന്ന മനുഷ്യൻ ക്ഷയമില്ലാത്ത സ്വർഗ്ഗം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.
Unspecified (narrative voice within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa context; speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Concept: Aesthetic, careful worship with pure offerings and adornments yields enduring heavenly merit (akṣaya-svarga).
Application: Offer simple, clean items—flowers, lamp oil, and respectful adornment—to one’s iṣṭa-devatā; cultivate beauty as devotion, not vanity.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Type: temple
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a lamp-lit sanctum, a devotee offers white cloth and white blossoms before a radiant sacred image, while an artisan’s painted panel and delicate collyrium lines enhance the deity’s eyes. Oil lamps shimmer on polished stone, and the air is thick with floral fragrance and reverent hush.","primary_figures":["a devotee (nara)","the worshiped sacred form (arcā-mūrti, Vaishnava-appropriate)","temple attendant/priest"],"setting":"temple sanctum with painted panels, oil lamps, flower trays, and ritual vessels","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit with divine radiance","color_palette":["ivory white","lamp-gold","vermilion","emerald green","midnight blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Vaishnava arcā-mūrti on a pedestal with gold leaf prabhāmaṇḍala, devotee offering white cloth and jasmine, priest holding a lamp; ornate painted backdrop, rich reds/greens, gem-like highlights, detailed collyrium accent on the deity’s eyes, thick decorative borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate shrine interior with delicate brushwork, soft whites and cool blues, refined faces; devotee presenting flowers and oil, subtle painted scrolls behind the deity, lyrical serenity and devotional tenderness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized deity with bold outlines and large expressive eyes, attendant holding oil lamp, offerings of white flowers; red/yellow/green pigments, temple-wall composition, rhythmic ornamentation and sacred symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Vaishnava deity framed by lotus and floral borders, abundant white blossoms, rows of oil lamps, intricate textile patterns; deep blue background with gold detailing, devotional opulence, Nathdwara-like ornamentation adapted to the described offerings."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","oil lamp crackle","low mantra hum","flower petals falling","conch shell at beginning/end"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पूजयेद्यस्तु = पूजयेत् + यः + तु; सितैश्चित्रादिभिः = सितैः + चित्रादिभिः; चित्रादिभिर्नरः = चित्रादिभिः + नरः; सोक्षयं = सः + अक्षयम्; स्वर्गमश्नुते = स्वर्गम् + अश्नुते.
FAQs
It teaches that sincere worship using traditional offerings (white items, paintings, collyrium, flowers, oils) yields great religious merit, described here as attaining imperishable heaven (akṣaya svarga).
From this single verse alone, the referent of “those” is unclear; it likely points to deities, sacred images, or holy objects mentioned in the surrounding verses of Adhyaya 48.
The implied lesson is devotion expressed through respectful, careful offerings—using accessible materials—can lead to lasting spiritual reward, emphasizing intention and reverent practice in pūjā.