Shloka 14
Praise of the Merits of Sacred Ponds, Tree-Planting, and Water-Charities
स्नात्वाश्वत्थं स्पृशेद्यस्तु सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते । अस्नातो यः स्पृशेन्मर्त्यो लभते स्नानजं फलम्
snātvāśvatthaṃ spṛśedyastu sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate | asnāto yaḥ spṛśenmartyo labhate snānajaṃ phalam
जो स्नान करून पवित्र अश्वत्थ (पिंपळ) वृक्षाला स्पर्श करतो, तो सर्व पापांपासून मुक्त होतो. आणि जो मनुष्य स्नान न करताही त्याला स्पर्श करतो, तो स्नानजन्य पुण्यफळ प्राप्त करतो.
Not specified in the provided extract (contextual narration within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa).
Concept: Sacred contact (darśana/sparśa) with a Viṣṇu-associated locus purifies pāpa and can substitute for formal rites when access is limited.
Application: When full ritual bathing is not possible, approach a sacred aśvattha with cleanliness of intention; touch the trunk/roots mindfully, offer a brief prayer, and resolve to avoid harmful actions.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At a quiet village edge, a massive aśvattha spreads its heart-shaped leaves, shimmering in a soft breeze. A devotee, hair still wet from bathing, touches the trunk with folded hands; beside him another traveler, dusty from the road, touches the same bark and feels a sudden inner clarity, as if a river’s purity flowed through wood and skin.","primary_figures":["aśvattha tree (as sacred presence)","Viṣṇu (subtle aura/antaryāmin presence)","two human devotees"],"setting":"rural shrine beneath the aśvattha with a small stone platform, clay lamps, and a water pot; distant fields and a faint path","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["leaf green","earth brown","saffron ochre","river-silver","lamp-flame gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a monumental aśvattha on a raised pedestal with gold-leaf halo motifs around the trunk, a subtle Viṣṇu aura suggested in the foliage, devotees in traditional attire touching the bark; rich vermilion and emerald background panels, ornate borders, gem-studded lamp and kalasha details.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical countryside with a broad-canopied pipal, delicate leaf detailing, two pilgrims—one freshly bathed, one travel-worn—touching the trunk; cool morning haze, refined faces, gentle narrative intimacy, distant river line and soft hills.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined aśvattha with stylized leaves, a faint Viṣṇu presence indicated by a blue aura within the canopy, devotees in profile with añjali; temple-lamp elements, natural pigment palette with dominant greens, reds, and yellows.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central aśvattha framed by lotus and creeper borders, small lamps and floral offerings at the base, peacocks perched on branches, a subtle Śrīvatsa-like motif in the foliage hinting Viṣṇu’s presence; deep indigo ground with gold highlights."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["rustling leaves","soft temple bell","distant birds","gentle silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्नात्वाश्वत्थं = स्नात्वा + अश्वत्थम्; स्पृशेद्यः = स्पृशेत् + यः; स्पृशेन्मर्त्यो = स्पृशेत् + मर्त्यः
FAQs
It recommends touching the aśvattha (pipal) tree—ideally after bathing—and states that this act confers purification and religious merit.
It presents the aśvattha as intrinsically purifying: touching it after bathing removes sins, and touching it even without bathing yields the merit of bathing.
The verse emphasizes accessible piety: even when ideal ritual conditions are absent, reverent contact with a sacred symbol (the aśvattha) is portrayed as spiritually beneficial.