Shloka 46
The Greatness of Puṣkara: Tripuṣkara Pilgrimage, Sacred Geography, and the Doctrine of Self-Restraint
पुष्करे दुष्करं दानं वासश्चैव सुदुष्करः । ब्राह्मणो वेदविद्वांस्तु गत्वा वै ज्येष्ठपुष्करं
puṣkare duṣkaraṃ dānaṃ vāsaścaiva suduṣkaraḥ | brāhmaṇo vedavidvāṃstu gatvā vai jyeṣṭhapuṣkaraṃ
Di Puṣkara, bersedekah itu sukar, dan menetap di sana lebih sukar lagi. Namun seorang brāhmaṇa yang mengetahui Weda, setelah benar-benar pergi ke Jyeṣṭha-Puṣkara, yakni Puṣkara yang utama, …
Unspecified (verse excerpt; speaker not identifiable from this single śloka alone)
Concept: True charity and steadfast residence in a sacred place require inner conquest; difficulty is a marker of transformative dharma.
Application: Practice ‘difficult charity’: give when inconvenient; keep a small daily discipline (time/place) that tests consistency.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned brāhmaṇa pilgrim approaches Jyeṣṭha-Puṣkara carrying a palm-leaf manuscript and a small water-pot, pausing before the lake as if weighing the hardship of staying. Nearby, a poor mendicant and a cow stand as silent tests of charity, while the ghāṭa steps lead the eye toward an ancient shrine and fluttering flags.","primary_figures":["Veda-knowing brāhmaṇa pilgrim","Mendicant recipient of dāna","Cow (gau) as dharma symbol","Temple priests (background)"],"setting":"Jyeṣṭha-Puṣkara ghāṭa with stone steps, flags, small shrines, pilgrims’ shelters; desert hills faintly visible.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sandstone beige","vermilion","emerald green","lapis blue","antique gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: brāhmaṇa pilgrim at Jyeṣṭha-Puṣkara offering dāna to a mendicant on the ghāṭa; gold-leaf highlights on lake ripples and temple ornaments, rich vermilion and emerald garments, gem-studded jewelry on shrine icons, ornate arch framing the sacred precinct.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate scene of a pilgrim hesitating then giving charity at the lake steps; fine linework on manuscripts and textiles, soft atmospheric perspective, lyrical birds and flags, restrained yet luminous palette.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized brāhmaṇa with bold outlines, large expressive eyes; symbolic rendering of dāna—hand extended with coins/grain; lake and shrine simplified into iconic forms, saturated reds/yellows/greens with temple-wall composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Puṣkara ghāṭa transformed into a lotus-filled sacred pond; ornate floral borders, deep blues and gold; rows of lamps and patterned textiles; symbolic śaṅkha-cakra motifs in the border to align tīrtha-dāna with Vaiṣṇava devotion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["footsteps on stone ghāṭa","soft chanting","temple bells","lake water lapping","distant conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वासश्चैव = वासः + च + एव (ः + च → श्च); वेदविद्वांस्तु = वेदविद्वान् + तु (न् + त → ंस् + तु लेख्यरूपे); ज्येष्ठपुष्करं = ज्येष्ठपुष्करम् (अनुस्वार/हलन्त-परिवर्तनं पदान्ते)।
FAQs
It highlights Puṣkara—specifically Jyeṣṭha-Puṣkara—as a distinguished pilgrimage center (tīrtha), implying a hierarchy among sacred sites where certain locations are regarded as especially potent or primary.
Indirectly: by stressing the difficulty of living and giving at Puṣkara, it frames pilgrimage, sacrifice, and disciplined religious life as meaningful offerings—acts that often accompany devotion at revered tīrthas.
Meritorious acts gain weight when they are hard to perform: charity (dāna) and austere residence in a sacred place require self-restraint, sincerity, and endurance—qualities praised as ethical and spiritually elevating.