Shloka 64
Pilgrimage Sequence on Sacred Fords (Narmadā Region): Bhṛgu-tīrtha, Śiva-vratas, and Merit Amplification
तत्फलं लभते राजन्स्नातमात्रस्तु मानवः । मासि भाद्रपदे चैव शुक्लपक्षस्य चाष्टमीम्
tatphalaṃ labhate rājansnātamātrastu mānavaḥ | māsi bhādrapade caiva śuklapakṣasya cāṣṭamīm
हे राजन्, मनुष्य स्नानमात्रानेच तेच पुण्यफळ प्राप्त करतो—विशेषतः भाद्रपद मासातील शुक्लपक्षाच्या अष्टमी तिथीस।
Unspecified (context-dependent narrator addressing a king)
Concept: Right time (tithi) + right act (snāna) at a tīrtha amplifies merit; sacred time is a spiritual technology.
Application: Mark auspicious tithis, keep a simple discipline (purity, restraint, charity), and perform a sincere bath/prayer—especially when major pilgrimages are not possible.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At Eraṇḍī-tīrtha, devotees step into the water at sunrise on Bhādrapada śukla aṣṭamī, holding copper lotas and offering arghya. A priest points to a lunar calendar board, while the sky shows a bright waxing moon motif, suggesting sacred time aligning with sacred place.","primary_figures":["devotees (men and women)","a priest/timekeeper (pañcāṅga reader)","king (optional observer)"],"setting":"River ford with ghāṭ steps, small pavilion where pañcāṅga is read, lamps and flags, offerings on leaf plates","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sunrise amber","turquoise water","white cotton","marigold orange","soft silver (moon)"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Bhādrapada śukla aṣṭamī snāna at Eraṇḍī-tīrtha, devotees with copper vessels, priest holding pañcāṅga, shrine with gold leaf halo, rich reds/greens, ornate borders, gold leaf on jewelry and lamp flames, auspicious calendrical symbols subtly embedded.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle dawn bathing scene with delicate ripples, a small pavilion where a sage-priest reads the calendar, refined figures in pale garments, cool water tones with warm amber sky, lyrical naturalism and fine ornament detail.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized ghāṭ and devotees in profile, bold outlines, priest with palm-leaf manuscript/pañcāṅga, saturated reds/yellows/greens, temple mural framing with auspicious motifs.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: rhythmic line of bathers at the ford, lotus and floral borders, deep blue-green water field with gold highlights, small calendar motif and moon symbol, intricate decorative repetition and devotional symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["flowing water","soft bell chimes","murmured mantras","birds at dawn"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tatphalaṃ → tat phalam; rājansnātamātrastu → rājan snāta-mātraḥ tu; caiva → ca eva; śuklapakṣasya → śukla-pakṣasya; cāṣṭamīm → ca aṣṭamīm.
FAQs
The verse highlights snāna (ritual bathing) as a practice that yields the same spiritual merit (“that fruit”) when performed on a particularly auspicious calendrical time.
It specifies Bhādrapada month, bright fortnight (śukla-pakṣa), on the eighth lunar day (Aṣṭamī).
It underscores that sincere, time-honored religious acts—done at auspicious times—can grant significant merit even through a simple act like bathing, emphasizing accessibility of dharma to ordinary people.