Shloka 155
Brahmā’s Puṣkara Sacrifice and the Manifestation of Sarasvatī
with Tīrtha-Merit Teachings
मेरुदानसमं तत्स्यात्पुरा प्राह प्रजापतिः । तस्मिंस्तीर्थे तु ये श्राद्धं करिष्यंति हि मानवाः
merudānasamaṃ tatsyātpurā prāha prajāpatiḥ | tasmiṃstīrthe tu ye śrāddhaṃ kariṣyaṃti hi mānavāḥ
Pada zaman dahulu Prajāpati telah menyatakan bahawa hal itu menjadi setara dengan dāna Gunung Meru. Maka, sesiapa yang akan melaksanakan śrāddha di tīrtha itu…
Narrator (contextual reference to an earlier proclamation by Prajāpati)
Concept: Śrāddha at a sanctified tīrtha carries extraordinary efficacy, equated with the cosmic-scale merit of gifting Mount Meru.
Application: Honor ancestors through śrāddha with sincerity; when possible, perform rites at holy waters; treat ancestral remembrance as spiritual responsibility, not mere custom.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A venerable Prajāpati-like figure, radiant and austere, proclaims before assembled sages that the tīrtha-rite equals Meru-dāna. In the foreground, householders prepare śrāddha: sesame, darbha grass, water vessels, and piṇḍa ingredients arranged neatly beside the river steps, while the distant horizon hints at a mythic golden Meru rising like a symbol of immeasurable merit.","primary_figures":["Prajāpati (as a luminous elder)","sages (ṛṣis)","householders performing śrāddha","brāhmaṇa officiant"],"setting":"riverbank tīrtha with ghāṭa steps, ritual platform, offerings laid out; symbolic Mount Meru in the far background","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["burnished gold","sandalwood beige","sacred ash gray","turmeric yellow","twilight violet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Prajāpati enthroned on a lotus seat proclaiming the Meru-dāna equivalence; foreground śrāddha setup with darbha, kalasha, and offerings; gold leaf on Meru, halos, and ritual vessels; rich crimson and green garments; ornate temple-arch framing and jewel-like detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined sages seated in a semicircle by a river-ghat; Prajāpati gesturing in teaching mudrā; delicate depiction of śrāddha items; a pale-gold Meru silhouette in misty distance; cool blues and soft ochres with fine linework.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized Prajāpati with large expressive eyes and bold outlines; ritual paraphernalia simplified into iconic forms; Meru as a geometric golden mountain; dominant red-yellow-green palette with temple-wall symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central river-tīrtha framed by lotus borders; symbolic golden Meru motif above; rows of small figures performing śrāddha in rhythmic repetition; intricate floral filigree, deep indigo water, gold highlights, and auspicious birds along the border."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["river current","ritual spoon clinks","soft chanting of mantras","temple bells (light)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्स्यात् = तत् स्यात्; तस्मिंस्तीर्थे = तस्मिन् तीर्थे
FAQs
It states that the merit of performing śrāddha at the specified sacred place is comparable to the extraordinarily great merit of “Meru-dāna,” a hyperbolic benchmark for supreme charity.
Meru symbolizes cosmic magnitude and unsurpassed value; comparing an act to Meru-dāna is a Purāṇic way of ranking it among the highest forms of religious merit (puṇya).
The verse promotes reverence for ancestral duties (pitṛ-kārya) and teaches that sincere ritual action, especially when aligned with sacred space (tīrtha), is considered highly efficacious in Purāṇic dharma.