Shloka 18
Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Dharmatīrtha, Plakṣādevī Sarasvatī, Śākambharī, and Suvarṇa
Kṛṣṇa–Rudra Episode
शाकाहारस्य यत्सम्यग्वर्षैर्द्वादशभिः फलम् । तत्फलं तस्य भवति देव्याश्छंदेन भारत
śākāhārasya yatsamyagvarṣairdvādaśabhiḥ phalam | tatphalaṃ tasya bhavati devyāśchaṃdena bhārata
ഹേ ഭാരത, ദേവിയുടെ ഇച്ഛാനുസാരം പ്രവർത്തിക്കുന്നവന്, പന്ത്രണ്ടു വർഷം ശാകാഹാരം അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചതാൽ യഥാവിധി ലഭിക്കുന്ന പുണ്യഫലം അതേപോലെ തന്നെ ലഭിക്കുന്നു।
Unspecified (context-dependent narrator addressing Bhārata)
Concept: Divinely authorized observance can compress time: obedience and purity can yield the fruit of long austerities.
Application: Choose a sanctioned, sustainable discipline (dietary restraint, charity, japa) and follow it faithfully; consistency and sincerity can outweigh sheer duration.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: temple
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A devotee offers a humble bowl of leafy greens before Śākambharī, and behind him a luminous scale appears: on one side ‘twelve years of śākāhāra’ and on the other the single, divinely sanctioned act—perfectly balanced. The Devī’s gaze conveys that grace can compress time when discipline is sincere.","primary_figures":["Śākambharī Devī","devotee/ascetic","symbolic cosmic scales (allegorical)"],"setting":"Sanctum threshold with offerings of greens, a glowing inscription-like aura illustrating the equivalence of merit.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["radiant gold","emerald green","pearl white","royal blue","vermillion"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Śākambharī enthroned with heavy gold leaf halo; devotee kneeling with a bowl of leafy greens; an allegorical golden balance-scale motif in the background showing ‘12 years’ on one pan and a single offering on the other; rich reds and greens, embossed gold detailing, gem-like ornamentation and traditional iconography.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Subtle allegory—Devī in a pavilion-like shrine, devotee offering greens; a delicate, translucent scale motif floats in the sky with fine calligraphic hints of ‘dvādaśa varṣa’; cool refined palette, lyrical naturalism, and gentle spiritual wonder.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Iconic Devī with bold outlines and large eyes; devotee in disciplined posture; symbolic scale rendered as a stylized yantra-like emblem; natural pigments with strong red/yellow/green, temple-wall symmetry and didactic clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Ornate border of leafy vines and lotuses; central Devī and devotee; the merit-equivalence shown through decorative twin panels—one filled with repeating ‘twelve’ motifs, the other with a single radiant offering; deep blues and gold, intricate floral patterns, devotional textile aesthetic."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell (opening)","temple bells","tanpura drone","soft chorus response (optional)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यत्सम्यग्वर्षैर्द्वादशभिः = यत् + सम्यक् + वर्षैः + द्वादशभिः; तत्फलं = तत् + फलम्; देव्याश्छंदेन = देव्याः + छन्देन (ः + छ → श्छ).
FAQs
It equates the merit of long-term disciplined śākāhāra (vegetarian/greens-based diet) with the merit gained by acting according to the Goddess’s wish—highlighting divine approval as spiritually decisive.
Both: it acknowledges the spiritual fruit of sustained dietary restraint, while emphasizing that alignment with Devī’s will can confer the same result.
“Bhārata” is a traditional honorific for a descendant of Bharata, commonly used to address a listener in epic-purāṇic dialogue (often a Kuru-line figure such as Bhīṣma, Arjuna, or Yudhiṣṭhira depending on context).