Shloka 23
Merits of Vitastā, Devikā, Rudrakoṭī and Sarasvatī Sacred Fords
गोसहस्रफलं चैव प्राप्नुयाद्भरतर्षभ । कुमारकोटिमासाद्य नियतः कुरुनंदन
gosahasraphalaṃ caiva prāpnuyādbharatarṣabha | kumārakoṭimāsādya niyataḥ kurunaṃdana
Wahai banteng dalam kalangan Bharata, dia benar-benar memperoleh pahala setara dengan (sedekah) seribu ekor lembu. Wahai kebanggaan Kuru, setelah mencapai pahala seumpama sepuluh juta anak muda, dia tetap teguh dalam disiplin suci.
Unspecified (context-dependent narrator addressing a Kuru/Bharata prince)
Concept: Merit is amplified by niyama (disciplined observance); quantified phala language functions as a pedagogical tool to anchor faith and perseverance.
Application: Choose one discipline and keep it steadily (niyataḥ): regular bathing/cleanliness, charity, japa, or service—consistency matters more than occasional intensity.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A disciplined pilgrim stands after bathing, wringing out a simple cloth, while a sage gestures as if weighing invisible merit on a cosmic scale—one side marked by a thousand cows, the other by the pilgrim’s steady vow. In the background, youthful celestial attendants (kumāras) appear as a shimmering multitude, symbolizing the ‘koṭi’ attainment and the expansive fruit of niyama.","primary_figures":["disciplined pilgrim (niyataḥ)","sage narrator (Pulastya-like)","celestial kumāras (symbolic multitude)","Bhīṣma (as implied royal addressee)"],"setting":"Sacred ghāṭa with a small weighing-scale motif carved on a pillar, open sky with faint celestial figures, offerings placed on steps.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sunrise gold","milk white","sky cyan","sandalwood beige","crimson"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: sage instructing a Kuru prince at a ghāṭa, gold leaf used for a cosmic balance-scale motif and halos, symbolic thousand cows rendered as a decorative frieze, a radiant multitude of youthful celestials in the upper register, rich reds/greens, ornate borders and jewel-like detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined riverbank scene with a single disciplined pilgrim, subtle symbolic imagery of cows as small vignettes, airy sky filled with faint youthful celestial forms, cool yet luminous palette, delicate brushwork and lyrical composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, narrative panel showing ‘go-sahasra’ as stylized cow row, ‘kumāra-koṭi’ as repeating youthful figures, strong natural pigments, temple-wall symmetry and icon-like clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: decorative border with cow motifs and floral vines, central ghāṭa scene with a devotee in niyama, upper field filled with patterned youthful attendants like a constellation, deep blues and gold highlights, lotus motifs in water to keep devotional auspiciousness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["flowing water","soft bell","footsteps on stone steps","brief silence after phala statement"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गोसहस्रफलं = गो-सहस्र-फलम्; चैव = च एव; प्राप्नुयाद्भरतर्षभ = प्राप्नुयात् भरत-ऋषभ; कुमारकोटिमासाद्य = कुमार-कोटिम् आसाद्य; कुरुनंदन = कुरु-नन्दन
FAQs
It is a conventional Purāṇic measure of puṇya (religious merit), equating an act (often a vow, pilgrimage, or charity) to the merit of donating one thousand cows—an archetypal high-value gift.
These are honorific epithets commonly used for a Kuru/Bharata royal listener (often a Pāṇḍava-line figure in Purāṇic narration). The exact addressee depends on the surrounding verses and dialogue frame.
The verse highlights disciplined observance—self-restraint and faithful adherence to a vow or rule—as a key condition for attaining stated spiritual rewards.