Shloka 69
Karma, Non-Violence, Tīrtha & Gaṅgā Merit, Vaiṣṇava Protection, Śālagrāma Worship, and Ekādaśī as Deliverance
पृथिव्यां यानि तीर्थानि तेषु मज्जति यो नरः । जितेंद्रियो जिताहारो न स याति यमालयम्
pṛthivyāṃ yāni tīrthāni teṣu majjati yo naraḥ | jiteṃdriyo jitāhāro na sa yāti yamālayam
ഭൂമിയിലെ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ—ഇന്ദ്രിയസംയമനവും ആഹാരനിയമവും ഉള്ളവൻ—യമാലയത്തിലേക്കു പോകുന്നില്ല.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Adhyaya 31)
Concept: Pilgrimage-bathing bears fruit only when supported by inner discipline; such integrated purity protects from post-mortem punishment.
Application: When visiting temples/rivers, pair ritual acts with restraint: avoid intoxicants, reduce sensory excess, eat simply, and keep vows of truthfulness and non-harm during travel.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A restrained pilgrim, with matted hair neatly tied and a simple cloth, steps into a luminous sacred ford at dawn. Around him, multiple tīrthas are symbolized as subtle lotus-emblems rising from the water, while Yama’s distant shadowy city fades behind mist, signifying release from fear.","primary_figures":["a self-controlled pilgrim (nara)","personified Tīrtha-devatā (subtle)","Yama (distant, symbolic)"],"setting":"riverbank tīrtha with stone ghāṭa, prayer flags, and a small shrine; distant cremation-ground silhouette dissolving into fog","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["saffron ochre","river-jade green","mist pearl-white","lotus pink","burnished gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a serene pilgrim performing snāna at a stone ghāṭa, tiny shrine with Viṣṇu symbols (śaṅkha-cakra) behind, Yama’s city as a faint vignette in the corner; heavy gold leaf on halos and water highlights, rich vermilion and emerald borders, gem-studded ornaments on the shrine icons, traditional South Indian iconography.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet river ford in a Himalayan-like valley, delicate ripples and lotuses, the pilgrim with modest posture and folded hands; cool blues and greens, lyrical naturalism, refined faces, distant temple spire and soft mist suggesting Yama’s realm receding.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined pilgrim at the tīrtha with stylized waves, a small Viṣṇu emblematic panel (śaṅkha-cakra-gadā-padma) above; warm red-yellow-green pigments, temple-wall aesthetic, large expressive eyes, rhythmic patterning in water and clouds.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: tīrtha as a lotus-filled pond with ornate floral borders, peacocks on the ghāṭa steps, a subtle Viṣṇu presence through śaṅkha-cakra motifs; deep indigo water with gold detailing, intricate lotuses, devotional symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["flowing water","soft temple bells","conch shell (distant)","morning birds","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: jiteṃdriyo ← jitendriyaḥ (anusvāra/orthographic variant in IAST); yamālayam ← yama-ālayaṃ (ā + a → ā).
FAQs
It links sacred bathing (tīrtha-snāna) with inner discipline—sense-control (jitendriya) and moderation in diet (jitāhāra)—as a means to avoid Yama’s realm, i.e., escape punitive post-death consequences.
No. The verse explicitly adds ethical-ascetic qualifiers (self-control and regulated diet), implying that external ritual gains its full efficacy when paired with personal restraint.
It implies freedom from Yama’s judgment and the suffering associated with karmic retribution—often read as a promise of auspicious post-mortem destiny when combined with disciplined living.