Shloka 15
The Glory of Śrāddha at Sacred Fords and the Determination of the Kutapa Time
नीलकण्ठमिति ख्यातं पितृतीर्थं नराधिप । तथा भद्रसरः पुण्यं सरो मानसमेव च
nīlakaṇṭhamiti khyātaṃ pitṛtīrthaṃ narādhipa | tathā bhadrasaraḥ puṇyaṃ saro mānasameva ca
ହେ ନରାଧିପ! ‘ନୀଳକଣ୍ଠ’ ନାମେ ପ୍ରସିଦ୍ଧ ପିତୃତୀର୍ଥ ଅଛି; ତଥା ପୁଣ୍ୟ ‘ଭଦ୍ରସର’ ସରୋବର ଏବଂ ‘ମାନସ’ ସରୋବର ମଧ୍ୟ ଅଛି।
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (addressing a king: narādhipa)
Concept: Specific named tīrthas and lakes are repositories of puṇya; approaching them with reverence yields purification and ancestral benefit.
Application: Cultivate ‘inner tīrtha’: keep one’s daily life clean, truthful, and offering-oriented; when traveling, visit sacred waters respectfully, avoid exploitation/pollution, and perform charity in the name of ancestors.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A king listens as a sage gestures toward a painted map-like vision: a dark-stone shrine of Nīlakaṇṭha near a forested spring, a luminous lake Bhadrasaras ringed with lotuses, and far beyond, the high-altitude blue of Mānasasaras beneath snow peaks. The three waters shimmer as if connected by a subtle thread of mantra, suggesting a network of sanctity across the earth.","primary_figures":["Sage narrator","King (narādhipa)","Symbolic presence of Nīlakaṇṭha (as a sacred marker)"],"setting":"Courtly pavilion opening into visionary landscape panels of tīrthas and lakes","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["midnight blue","snow white","emerald green","lotus pink","antique gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a seated sage instructing a crowned king; behind them three framed vignettes—Nīlakaṇṭha tīrtha shrine, Bhadrasaras lotus lake, and Mānasarovar with snowy peaks; gold leaf on halos, lake highlights, and royal ornaments; rich reds/greens with ornate borders and gem-like detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate teaching scene with the king and sage in a veranda; delicate landscape vignettes showing lakes and distant mountains; cool blues and whites for Mānasarovar, soft greens for Bhadrasaras; refined linework, lyrical naturalism, gentle facial expressions.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold-outlined sage and king; stylized lakes with lotus patterns; Mānasarovar indicated by simplified snow mountains; dominant ochre-red-green palette, decorative borders, large expressive eyes.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lotus-lake motif representing Bhadrasaras, with secondary panels for Nīlakaṇṭha shrine and Mānasarovar; intricate floral borders, hanging lamps, peacocks; deep blues and gold; subtle Vaishnava symbols woven into the border patterns."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft mridang-like pulse","temple bells","water lapping","low courtly ambience","conch shell (distant)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nīlakaṇṭham + iti → nīlakaṇṭhamiti; mānasam + eva → mānasameva.
FAQs
It lists specific named sacred sites—Nīlakaṇṭha as a Pitṛ-tīrtha, along with the lakes Bhadrasaras and Mānasa—showing the text’s catalog-like mapping of holy places.
Indirectly: by highlighting tīrthas and holy waters, it supports devotional practice through pilgrimage, reverence, and ritual acts performed with faith at sanctified locations.
Honoring one’s ancestors and approaching sacred places with reverence are presented as meritorious acts, reinforcing gratitude, continuity of lineage, and dhārmic responsibility.