Shloka 100
Account of Various Sacred Tīrthas
Pilgrimage Merits and Prayāga Supremacy
यश्चेदं शृणुयान्नित्यं तीर्थपुण्यं सदा शुचि । जातिस्मरत्वमाप्नोति नाकपृष्ठे च मोदते
yaścedaṃ śṛṇuyānnityaṃ tīrthapuṇyaṃ sadā śuci | jātismaratvamāpnoti nākapṛṣṭhe ca modate
जो सदैव शुद्ध राहून तीर्थपुण्याची ही कथा नित्य ऐकतो, तो जातिस्मरत्व (पूर्वजन्मस्मृती) प्राप्त करतो आणि स्वर्गशिखरी आनंदित होतो.
Unspecified (narratorial phalaśruti-style statement within the chapter)
Concept: Nitya-śravaṇa of tīrtha-puṇya, coupled with śauca (purity), refines consciousness to the point of memory across births and svargic joy.
Application: Keep a small daily practice: bathe/cleanse, listen to a tīrtha-mahātmya or recite a few verses, and end with a dedication (saṅkalpa) for inner purification rather than mere reward-seeking.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A devotee sits daily in cleanliness beside a small lamp and water pot, listening with folded hands as a sage narrates tīrtha merits. Above them, a translucent vision opens: a stairway of lotuses rising to a radiant celestial terrace (nāka-pṛṣṭha), where the devotee appears again, smiling in recognition as scenes of past lives shimmer like reflections on water.","primary_figures":["sage narrator","pure-minded listener (devotee)","celestial attendants (gandharvas/apsarās, subtle)"],"setting":"Simple hermitage or temple corner transitioning into a visionary celestial panorama.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["pearl white","sky blue","lotus pink","radiant gold","smoky violet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: devotee listening to a sage with a lamp-lit altar below, and above, a gold-leaf celestial terrace with lotus-stairway, gandharvas, and a radiant aura; heavy gold embellishment, jewel tones, ornate borders, layered composition showing earthly and heavenly realms.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: two-tier scene—quiet daily listening in a hermitage, and a soft, misty vision of svarga with lotus steps; delicate brushwork, cool blues and pinks, refined expressions, airy clouds and distant peaks.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic split-panel composition with listener and sage below, nāka-pṛṣṭha above with stylized celestial figures; bold outlines, luminous yellow-red-green pigments, large eyes, decorative cloud bands.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lotus mandala rising upward, devotee and sage at the base, celestial pavilion at the top; dense lotus motifs, gold highlights on deep blue, peacocks and floral borders, devotional symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["silence between verses","soft temple bells","gentle flowing water","distant conch shell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यश्चेदं = यः + च + इदम्; शृणुयान्नित्यं = शृणुयात् + नित्यम्; जातिस्मरत्वमाप्नोति = जातिस्मरत्वम् + आप्नोति; नाकपृष्ठे = नाक + पृष्ठे (समास)
FAQs
The verse states that regular listening (nitya-śravaṇa) to this tīrtha-puṇya account leads to jātismaratva—remembering past births—and joy in heaven (nākapṛṣṭha).
Jātismaratva literally means “remembering births,” i.e., the ability to recall previous lives—presented here as a fruit of sustained purity and devotional listening.
It emphasizes śuci (purity/clean conduct) and consistency (nityam, sadā), implying that the practice should be regular and supported by a purified lifestyle.