Shloka 39
The Origin of the Lauhitya River
and the King of Tīrthas
यत्र तीर्थे कुठारं ते निर्मलं च भवेदिह । तत्र ते सर्वपापानां जातानां च क्षयो भवेत्
yatra tīrthe kuṭhāraṃ te nirmalaṃ ca bhavediha | tatra te sarvapāpānāṃ jātānāṃ ca kṣayo bhavet
Di mana-mana tīrtha yang di situ kapakmu menjadi suci dan jernih, pada tempat itulah lenyap segala dosa yang telah engkau tanggung.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Adhyaya 55; likely a narrator/teacher addressing a listener)
Concept: A genuine sacred place is validated by its power to purify; where purification occurs, total destruction of accumulated sin follows.
Application: Seek environments and practices that measurably change you—where habits soften, conscience clears, and devotion deepens; let transformation be the criterion of ‘true tīrtha’ in daily life.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A wandering Paraśurāma arrives at a radiant ford; as he dips and lifts his axe, the stain dissolves like darkness fleeing dawn. The water shimmers with sanctity, and the surrounding air feels lighter—suggesting that in this very place, the burden of all sins collapses into peace.","primary_figures":["Paraśurāma","Pilgrims/sages (optional witnesses)","Personified river/tīrtha (subtle presence)"],"setting":"A luminous riverbank with ancient steps, flowering trees, and a small shrine; distant hills and a calm current that reflects the sky like polished metal.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sunrise gold","river teal","lotus pink","sandstone beige","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Paraśurāma at a grand ghat lifting a now-bright axe, gold leaf used to make the water and aura gleam, ornate shrine in background, rich reds/greens in textiles, gem-like highlights on ornaments, composition emphasizing ‘nirmalatā’ as visible radiance.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: serene dawn over a river-ford, delicate ripples, Paraśurāma’s softened expression, cool-teal water with warm sunrise gradient, fine foliage and birds, understated gold accents, lyrical calm after turmoil.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized ghats and river, Paraśurāma centered with purified axe rendered in bright yellow-white, rhythmic patterns in water, red-yellow-green palette with a dawn band, temple mural storytelling clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central tīrtha scene framed by lotus and floral borders, shimmering water rendered with repetitive decorative motifs, deep blue-to-gold gradient sky, peacocks and cows near the bank as auspicious signs, emphasis on purity and blessing through intricate ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["flowing water","soft temple bells","birds at dawn","tanpura drone","gentle conch in distance"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भवेदिह → भवेत् इह; सर्वपापानां → सर्व-पापानाम्
FAQs
It presents tīrthas as spiritually efficacious locations where purification is believed to occur tangibly and immediately, implying a landscape mapped not only by physical features but by moral and ritual potency.
Indirectly: it highlights grace associated with sacred places rather than philosophical argument. In many Purāṇic contexts, pilgrimage and reverence at tīrthas function as devotional acts that support inner purification.
Actions have consequences (“sins incurred”), yet transformation is possible: sincere engagement with purifying disciplines—here symbolized by tīrtha-contact—can lead to moral renewal and the exhaustion of past wrongdoing.