Shloka 15
The Glory of Gayā and the Pilgrimage Circuit of Allied Tīrthas
योनिद्वारं च तत्रैव विश्रुतं भरतर्षभ । तत्राभिगम्य मुच्येत पुरुषो योनिसंकटात्
yonidvāraṃ ca tatraiva viśrutaṃ bharatarṣabha | tatrābhigamya mucyeta puruṣo yonisaṃkaṭāt
योनिद्वारं च तत्रैव विश्रुतं, भरतर्षभ। तत्राभिगम्य पुरुषो योनिसंकटात् प्रमुच्यते॥
Pulastya (to Bhīṣma)
Concept: Contact with a liberation-symbol tīrtha can catalyze release from the bondage of birth, pointing to the deeper aim of pilgrimage: saṃsāra-nivṛtti.
Application: Treat spiritual practice as crossing thresholds: reduce identity-clinging, cultivate surrender, and pair pilgrimage/ritual with inner renunciation and compassion.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dramatic stone archway carved like a sacred threshold—‘Yonidvāra’—opens onto a luminous inner sanctum, suggesting passage from constriction to freedom. Pilgrims approach with lamps and flowers, while a subtle, translucent spiral motif evokes the womb’s coil dissolving into light.","primary_figures":["pilgrims","Pulastya (as guiding sage, optional)","a presiding deity presence (Viṣṇu as inner light, optional)"],"setting":"rock-cut gateway shrine with ancient carvings, incense smoke, offerings placed at the threshold","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["basalt gray","incense smoke white","lamp gold","vermillion","midnight blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a grand arched ‘Yonidvāra’ shrine with embossed gold patterns on the doorway, central luminous Viṣṇu aura beyond the threshold; pilgrims with brass lamps and flower trays; rich reds/greens, heavy gold leaf on the arch and halo.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a poetic rocky gateway in a quiet landscape, pilgrims in soft garments, delicate lamp flames; the inner space painted as a pale luminous wash, suggesting liberation; refined faces and gentle contours.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized doorway with bold outlines, symbolic womb-spiral motif dissolving into a radiant disc; pilgrims in rhythmic procession, strong red/yellow/green palette with temple-wall framing.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate threshold framed by lotus and vine borders; central luminous opening with floral garlands, peacocks perched near offerings; deep blue ground with gold and vermillion highlights, intricate textile patterning."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","temple bells","low drone","footsteps on stone","incense crackle"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्र+एव → तत्रैव; तत्र+अभिगम्य → तत्राभिगम्य.
FAQs
It is described as a renowned tīrtha (sacred ford/place) whose very name means “womb-gate,” indicating a place believed to remove the suffering and peril associated with birth and rebirth.
It literally means “the distress/danger connected with the womb,” used in a broader purāṇic sense for the hardships of embodied existence and the cycle of repeated birth.
The verse emphasizes the purāṇic teaching that pilgrimage to specific tīrthas—undertaken with faith and right intention—can aid purification and liberation from the burdens of saṃsāra (repeated birth).