Shloka 77
The Tale of the Five Pretas and the Glory of Puṣkara & the Eastern Sarasvatī
तीर्थानां प्रवरं तीर्थं पृथिव्यामिह पठ्यते । नास्मात्परं पुण्यतीर्थं लोकेषु नृप पठ्यते
tīrthānāṃ pravaraṃ tīrthaṃ pṛthivyāmiha paṭhyate | nāsmātparaṃ puṇyatīrthaṃ lokeṣu nṛpa paṭhyate
Tīrtha ini diajarkan sebagai yang paling utama di bumi. Wahai nṛpa, di seluruh alam tidak diajarkan adanya tīrtha yang lebih suci dan lebih berpahala daripada ini.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (addressed to a king: nṛpa).
Concept: Certain tīrthas are proclaimed as ‘pravarāṇi’ (foremost) to concentrate devotion and encourage decisive dharmic action (snāna, dāna, vrata) there.
Application: Choose one sacred practice-place (a temple, tīrtha, or home altar) and serve it consistently; depth of reverence matters more than restless comparison.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A grand, elevated view of the sacred tīrtha with concentric ghāṭas and temples, as if the whole landscape is a mandala. A king stands with folded hands while a sage points toward the water, and in the sky a subtle cosmic map suggests ‘all worlds’ acknowledging this place’s holiness.","primary_figures":["a sage-teacher","a king (nṛpa)","pilgrims","guardian deities (dikpālas, subtle)"],"setting":"Vast tīrtha panorama with lake/ford, temple spires, processional path, and banners","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["royal blue","antique gold","vermillion","ivory","teal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: majestic Puṣkara tīrtha mandala-panorama, sage and king in the foreground, pilgrims on ghāṭas, temple towers with gold leaf, celestial register showing ‘all worlds’ as small luminous orbs; heavy gold embellishment, rich reds/greens, ornate jewelry and arches.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: wide scenic vista with delicate architecture, sage instructing the king, soft atmospheric perspective, distant hills; cool palette with lyrical naturalism and refined faces, subtle cosmic symbolism in the sky.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: tiered composition—foreground sage and king, middle ghāṭa and pilgrims, upper celestial band with symbolic worlds; bold outlines, natural pigments, temple-wall grandeur.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical tīrtha scene framed by intricate floral borders, central water body with lotus motifs, rows of devotees, upper band with stylized celestial spheres; deep blues and gold, devotional ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","temple bells","crowd chant of 'Hari'","drum (mridanga) soft pulse","water ambience"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पृथिव्यामिह = पृथिव्याम् + इह. नास्मात्परं = न + अस्मात् + परम्. पुण्यतीर्थं = पुण्य + तीर्थम्.
FAQs
It proclaims a particular tīrtha as the foremost on earth, stating that no superior or more meritorious pilgrimage place is taught anywhere in the worlds.
The verse explicitly addresses a king, but the specific identity is not contained in the excerpt; it depends on the surrounding narrative of Adhyaya 32.
The verse encourages prioritizing a highly praised sacred site and implies that sincere pilgrimage and reverence to renowned tīrthas is considered especially merit-producing (puṇya) within Purāṇic tradition.