Padma Purana — Svarga Khanda, Shloka 11
Sequential Description of Pilgrimage Fords and Their Merits
Tīrtha-Itinerary
तत्रोष्य रजनीः पंच दद्याद्बहुसुवर्णकम् । अथ देवीं समासाद्य नरः परमदुर्गमाम्
tatroṣya rajanīḥ paṃca dadyādbahusuvarṇakam | atha devīṃ samāsādya naraḥ paramadurgamām
ਉਥੇ ਪੰਜ ਰਾਤਾਂ ਨਿਵਾਸ ਕਰਕੇ ਬਹੁਤ ਸੋਨਾ ਦਾਨ ਕਰੇ। ਫਿਰ ਅਤਿ ਦੁਰਲਭ ਦੇਵੀ ਦੇ ਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਲਈ ਜਾ ਕੇ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਉਸ ਦੀ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ।
Unknown (narrative instruction; wider dialogue context not provided)
Concept: Merit is stabilized by disciplined stay (niyama) and perfected by dāna; divine access is earned through endurance and generosity.
Application: When seeking spiritual breakthroughs, commit to a fixed period of practice (e.g., five-day sādhanā) and pair it with meaningful charity; let giving be the ‘seal’ of your retreat.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A pilgrim remains for five nights beside a high, cold river-source shrine, counting days by lamp flames sheltered from the wind. On the final dawn, he offers heaps of gold at a small altar, and a distant, cliff-enshrined Devī appears—veiled in mist—inviting the worthy closer.","primary_figures":["pilgrim donor","local brāhmaṇa officiant","Devī (durgamā, remote shrine form)","attendant yakṣa/guardian figures (subtle)"],"setting":"Rocky Himalayan gorge with a modest tīrtha-maṇḍapa, oil lamps, donation vessels, and a far-off Devī shrine carved into a cliff face.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lamp amber","stone gray","deep crimson","antique gold","midnight blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a donor pilgrim offering abundant gold coins and ornaments at a small altar; Devī enthroned in a distant cliff-sanctum with gold leaf halo and ornate arch; rich reds, greens, and heavy gold embellishment on jewelry and lamps; symmetrical devotional composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate night-to-dawn sequence implied—rows of tiny lamps, a solitary pilgrim, and a misty Devī shrine on a cliff; cool blues and grays with warm lamp points; delicate faces and refined landscape gradients.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Devī rendered with bold outlines and iconic eyes, seated within a stylized rock-temple niche; foreground shows dāna vessels and lamps; flat pigment fields of red/yellow/green with patterned borders like a temple panel.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central altar with gold offerings framed by lotus and floral borders; Devī in an upper register niche; repeated lamp motifs like a garland; deep blue ground with gold highlights and intricate textile-like ornament."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["night insects (subtle)","lamp crackle","river hush","soft bell","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्र+उष्य→तत्रोष्य; दद्यात्+बहुसुवर्णकम्→दद्याद्बहुसुवर्णकम्
FAQs
It prescribes staying (at the indicated sacred place/observance context) for five nights and then giving a donation—specifically abundant gold—followed by approaching the Goddess in devotion.
The verse names only “Devī” (the Goddess) without specifying a particular form; ‘paramadurgamā’ emphasizes her transcendence and the difficulty of attaining her presence without disciplined observance and devotion.
It implies dāna (generosity) as a purifying discipline: offerings made after austerity/observance support humility, detachment, and sincerity, aligning the devotee with divine grace.