Shloka 13
The Glory of Vārāṇasī: Madhyameśvara and the Mandākinī Rite
यत्फलं लभते मर्त्त्यस्तस्माद्दशगुणं त्विह । एवमुक्तं महाराज माहात्म्यं मध्यमेश्वरे । यः शृणोति परं भक्त्या स याति परमं पदम्
yatphalaṃ labhate marttyastasmāddaśaguṇaṃ tviha | evamuktaṃ mahārāja māhātmyaṃ madhyameśvare | yaḥ śṛṇoti paraṃ bhaktyā sa yāti paramaṃ padam
Apa jua hasil yang diperoleh insan di tempat lain, di sini dia meraih sepuluh kali ganda. Demikianlah, wahai maharaja, kemuliaan Madhyameśvara telah dinyatakan. Sesiapa yang mendengarnya dengan bhakti tertinggi akan mencapai martabat yang paling luhur.
Unspecified narrator addressing a king (mahārāja) within the chapter’s dialogue frame
Concept: Devotional hearing (śravaṇa) of tīrtha-mahātmya, when suffused with parā-bhakti, becomes a liberating practice; sacred places magnify merit beyond ordinary measure.
Application: Cultivate daily śravaṇa: listen/read sacred narratives with focused devotion; let inspiration translate into concrete dharma (pilgrimage, charity, worship).
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: temple
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a royal pavilion overlooking Kashi’s temple spires, a sage narrates the Madhyameśvara māhātmya to a seated mahārāja. As the king listens with folded hands, a subtle vision opens behind the storyteller: the shrine glowing with tenfold radiance, and beyond it a distant, serene ‘parama pada’—a Vaishnava-style luminous realm—suggesting liberation through devoted hearing.","primary_figures":["Sage narrator (ṛṣi)","Mahārāja (king listener)","Madhyameśvara shrine (visionary)","Viṣṇu’s parama-pada light (symbolic, optional)"],"setting":"Kashi palace terrace or assembly hall with view of ghāṭas and temple skyline; narrative scene blended with visionary overlay of the shrine and transcendent realm.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["royal maroon","burnished gold","pearl white","sapphire blue","lotus pink"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: sage instructing a crowned king, with a gold-leaf aura expanding into a vision of Madhyameśvara shrine and a distant Vaikuṇṭha-like parama-pada glow; ornate pillars, rich reds/greens, heavy gold embossing, gem-like highlights on crowns and halos.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined courtly listening scene—king and sage in quiet devotion, Kashi skyline in soft distance; a translucent visionary vignette of the glowing shrine and serene luminous realm; cool delicate palette, lyrical composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: frontal sage and king with bold outlines, stylized architectural frame; behind them a radiant mandala-like vision of the shrine and ‘parama pada’ light; natural pigments, strong reds/yellows/greens, temple-wall symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central listening tableau framed by lotus and floral borders; above, a circular aureole showing the shrine and a luminous celestial realm; deep indigo ground with gold detailing, intricate textile patterns on garments."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"celebratory","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft temple bells","distant conch","river breeze","quiet audience hush"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यत्फलं = यत् + फलम्; मर्त्त्यस्तस्माद् = मर्त्यः + तस्मात्; तस्माद्दशगुणं = तस्मात् + दशगुणम्; त्विह = तु + इह; एवमुक्तं = एवम् + उक्तम्; (माहात्म्यं मध्यमेश्वरे) = माहात्म्यम् + मध्यमेश्वरे.
FAQs
It promises that merit gained here (in connection with Madhyameśvara and its māhātmya) is tenfold compared to ordinary results, and that devoted listening leads to the highest spiritual attainment.
It highlights śravaṇa (devotional hearing) done with para-bhakti (supreme devotion) as a direct means to reach paramam padam, the highest state or abode.
“Mahārāja” indicates the teaching is framed as counsel to a king, underscoring that sacred listening and reverence for tīrtha-māhātmyas are relevant to rulers and householders, not only ascetics.