Shloka 40
The Deeds of Cyavana
in the Context of Guru-tirtha Glorification
कः समर्थो महातीर्थो ब्रह्महत्यां व्यपोहितुम् । गोवधाख्यं महापापं स्त्रीवधाख्यमनुत्तमम्
kaḥ samartho mahātīrtho brahmahatyāṃ vyapohitum | govadhākhyaṃ mahāpāpaṃ strīvadhākhyamanuttamam
Mahātīrtha manakah yang mampu menghapus dosa brahmahatyā (membunuh brahmana), juga mahāpāpa yang disebut pembunuhan lembu, serta dosa tiada bandingan yang disebut pembunuhan wanita?
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (a questioner addressing a listener about the power of a mahātīrtha)
Concept: Even the gravest transgressions drive the seeker toward purification; sacred geography functions as a compassionate remedial path when joined with repentance and right conduct.
Application: Acknowledge wrongdoing without denial; seek structured atonement (confession, restitution, disciplined practice, pilgrimage/ritual if appropriate) and commit to non-repetition.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A penitent figure stands at the edge of a vast sacred ford, hands trembling in prayer, while shadowy forms symbolizing brahmahatyā, go-vadha, and strī-vadha loom behind like dark smoke. Across the water, a radiant tīrtha-deity or river-goddess shines, promising cleansing as lotus petals drift toward the supplicant.","primary_figures":["Penitent seeker (symbolic)","Personified Mahātīrtha / river-goddess","Shadow-forms of mahāpātakas (allegorical)","Vishnu’s distant presence as sanctifying aura (subtle)"],"setting":"River confluence or broad ghāṭa with ancient steps, banyan trees, and a small shrine with a Viṣṇu emblem","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["smoky charcoal","river turquoise","sunrise gold","lotus pink","sandalwood beige"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a grand ghāṭa scene with a central river-goddess/tīrtha-deity haloed in gold leaf; penitent in añjali at the steps; allegorical dark clouds of sin rendered at the margins; ornate shrine with Viṣṇu symbols; heavy gold embellishment on water highlights and jewelry, rich reds and greens, embossed lotus borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: quiet dawn at a river confluence; delicate ripples and floating lotuses; penitent figure small against the landscape; sins suggested as faint grey silhouettes dissolving into mist; cool blues and soft saffron sky; refined, lyrical naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: symbolic composition—river as a broad band of turquoise; tīrtha-deity with bold outlines and large eyes; sins as stylized dark attendants receding; warm ochres and reds for the ghāṭa; ornamental lotus and conch motifs framing the scene.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a sacred water scene filled with lotus motifs; central radiant tīrtha-deity; intricate floral borders; deep blue water with gold highlights; peacocks and swans; devotional symmetry, with sin-forms depicted as fading dark patterns at the edges."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["flowing water","low temple bell","distant conch","wind through banyan leaves"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: महातीर्थो = महातीर्थः (visarga sandhi before voiced consonant); स्त्रीवधाख्यमनुत्तमम् = स्त्रीवधाख्यम् + अनुत्तमम्.
FAQs
It asks which great tīrtha is powerful enough to dispel the gravest sins—brahmin-slaying, cow-killing, and woman-slaying.
They are presented as paradigmatic mahāpāpas (grave moral transgressions), highlighting the seriousness of harm to sacred/socially protected lives and the need for profound atonement.
It underscores the gravity of violence and wrongful killing, and frames pilgrimage/expiation discourse within a strong moral awareness of severe wrongdoing.