Shloka 106
Tīrtha-Māhātmya Sequence: Sacred Fords, Baths, Gifts, and Śrāddha
Narmadā-Belt Itinerary
तत्र स्नात्वा तु राजेंद्र विष्णुलोके महीयते । नर्मदादक्षिणेकूले तीर्थं परमशोभनम्
tatra snātvā tu rājeṃdra viṣṇuloke mahīyate | narmadādakṣiṇekūle tīrthaṃ paramaśobhanam
Wahai raja yang utama, dengan mandi di sana seseorang dimuliakan di alam Viṣṇu. Di tebing selatan Sungai Narmadā terdapat tīrtha yang amat indah.
Unspecified narrator within the Svargakhaṇḍa’s dialogue context (addressing a king: rājendra).
Concept: Snāna at a sanctified river-tīrtha, performed with faith, becomes a bridge to Viṣṇu’s realm—ritual action transmuted into bhakti-fruit.
Application: Use sacred bathing (or symbolic ‘inner bathing’ through japa and repentance) as a reset: approach with intention, restraint, and remembrance of Viṣṇu; let purification lead to ethical living.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On the southern bank of the Narmadā, broad stone ghāṭ-steps descend into emerald water; pilgrims stand waist-deep, offering arghya as sunlight scatters like gold on ripples. Above the bank, a small shrine and fluttering flags mark the tīrtha, while a faint vision of Vaikuṇṭha—lotus-throne and śaṅkha-cakra—appears in the sky as the promised fruit.","primary_figures":["Pilgrim-king (rājendra)","River-goddess Narmadā (personified)","Viṣṇu (as Vaikuṇṭha vision)","Priests and pilgrims"],"setting":"Narmadā ghāṭ on the southern bank with steps, lamps, banyan trees, and a modest riverside temple; offerings of flowers and sesame float on the current.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["river emerald","sunlit gold","lotus pink","sandalwood beige","deep indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Narmadā ghāṭ with pilgrims performing snāna and arghya; personified Narmadā with a gold halo rises from the waters; above, a small Vaikuṇṭha vignette with Viṣṇu holding śaṅkha-cakra, heavy gold leaf, rich reds/greens, ornate temple arch and gem-like highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: serene riverbank scene with delicate figures on stone steps; translucent green water, soft dawn sky, and a subtle celestial Vaikuṇṭha cloud-form; refined faces, lyrical trees, cool palette with warm sun accents.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized Narmadā as a goddess with flowing hair and pot of water; bold outlines, flat pigments; pilgrims in rhythmic rows on ghāṭ steps; a symbolic Viṣṇu emblem (śaṅkha-cakra) in the sky, temple-wall aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: river as a patterned band with lotus motifs; pilgrims offering flowers; central medallion of Viṣṇu’s śaṅkha-cakra above the ghāṭ; ornate floral borders, peacocks near banyan roots, deep blues and gold."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing water","conch shell","temple bells","morning birds","soft chanting"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: राजेंद्र = राजेन्द्र; नर्मदादक्षिणेकूले = नर्मदा-दक्षिणे-कूले (समास/सन्धि-विग्रह); परमशोभनम् = परम-शोभनम्; महीयते is passive/ātmanepada form from √मह्.
FAQs
It locates a particularly splendid tīrtha on the southern bank of the Narmadā, showing how the Padma Purāṇa maps spiritual merit onto specific riverine sites.
By linking a simple devotional act—bathing at a sacred place—with honor in Viṣṇu’s realm, it frames tīrtha-ritual as a Viṣṇu-oriented (Vaiṣṇava) means of attaining divine proximity.
It encourages reverence for sacred places and disciplined practice: sincere observance (like tīrtha-snān) is portrayed as spiritually transformative and worthy of divine recognition.