Shloka 31
The Greatness of the Gaṇḍakī River and the Śālagrāma Stone
सर्वतीर्थपरिस्नानात्सर्वक्रतुसमर्चनात् । पुण्यं भवति यद्राजन्बिंदौ बिंदौ तदद्भुतम्
sarvatīrthaparisnānātsarvakratusamarcanāt | puṇyaṃ bhavati yadrājanbiṃdau biṃdau tadadbhutam
Wahai Raja, pahala yang lahir daripada mandi di semua tīrtha dan daripada memuliakan setiap yajña menurut tatacara—ajaibnya, pahala yang sama itu diperoleh pada setiap titis amalan suci ini.
Unspecified narrator addressing a king (rājan) within the Pātāla-khaṇḍa dialogue frame
Concept: Viṣṇu-prasāda (pādāmṛta) concentrates the fruits of universal pilgrimage and sacrifice into immediate, repeatable devotion—each drop is a cosmos of merit.
Application: When receiving caraṇāmṛta/prasāda, do it attentively—no haste, no distraction—treat each sip as a full pilgrimage: gratitude, remembrance, and a small act of charity afterward to seal the merit.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king stands respectfully before a Vaiṣṇava altar as a priest lets pādāmṛta fall from a conch in slow, gleaming droplets into the king’s cupped hands. In each droplet, miniature visions appear—Ganga ghats, Prayāga confluence, sacrificial fires, and distant temples—suggesting ‘all tīrthas and all kratus’ contained within a single bindu.","primary_figures":["king (rājan)","Vaiṣṇava priest/sage","Śālagrāma/Viṣṇu altar"],"setting":"Temple courtyard with a small yajña-kuṇḍa nearby, banners, and a clean stone platform; distant river imagery reflected in the drops.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["conch white","honey-gold","royal crimson","stone gray","river turquoise"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: regal king receiving caraṇāmṛta droplets from a conch; each droplet painted with tiny tīrtha vignettes and yajña flames; lavish gold leaf on halos, vessels, and royal ornaments; rich red-green architectural frame like a South Indian maṇḍapa.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined court-temple scene with the king in modest devotion; delicate depiction of luminous droplets containing tiny landscapes (ghats, confluence, fire altar); cool shadows, lyrical detail, gentle spiritual wonder.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized king and priest with bold outlines; prominent conch pouring large symbolic droplets, each droplet containing simplified icons of rivers and yajña fire; warm red-yellow palette with green borders and temple-wall symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central conch pouring bindu-drops arranged like a lotus garland; within drops, stylized tīrtha symbols (confluence lines, ghats, temple spires); deep blue background with gold floral borders, peacocks and lotuses framing the devotional act."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"celebratory","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","temple bells","soft crowd hush","water dripping","distant Vedic chant"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सर्वतीर्थपरिस्नानात् → सर्व-तीर्थ-परि-स्नानात्; सर्वक्रतुसमर्चनात् → सर्व-क्रतु-समर्चनात्; यद्राजन् → यत् + राजन्; बिंदौ → बिन्दौ; तदद्भुतम् → तत् + अद्भुतम् (सन्धि: तद् + अ...).
FAQs
It asserts that the merit of bathing at all tīrthas and honoring all sacrifices can be concentrated into a single sacred practice—so potent that the merit is said to be gained “in each drop.”
Tīrtha-snānā (pilgrimage bathing) and kratu (Vedic sacrifice) represent two major classical sources of religious merit; the verse heightens the value of the referenced sacred act by equating it with both.
It implies that sincere participation in a sanctifying rite can yield immense spiritual benefit, encouraging faith, reverence, and disciplined practice rather than mere external accumulation of pilgrimages or rituals.