Shloka 46
The Episode of Cyavana
Cyavana’s Hermitage and the Power of Tapas
स जगाम तपः कर्तुं रेवां लोकैकपावनीम् । शिष्यैः परिवृतः सर्वैस्तपोबलसमन्वितैः
sa jagāma tapaḥ kartuṃ revāṃ lokaikapāvanīm | śiṣyaiḥ parivṛtaḥ sarvaistapobalasamanvitaiḥ
అతడు తపస్సు చేయుటకు లోకముల ఏకైక పావనకారిణి రేవా (నర్మదా) నదికి వెళ్లాడు; తపోబలసంపన్నులైన తన శిష్యులందరూ అతనిని చుట్టుముట్టి ఉన్నారు.
Narrator (contextual; the verse reports an action rather than direct speech)
Concept: Seek purification and spiritual power through disciplined tapas supported by tīrtha: sacred geography amplifies inner effort when approached with humility and guidance.
Application: Choose environments that support your practice—regular visits to sacred or quiet places, disciplined routines, and community/mentor support; let ‘place’ reinforce ‘purpose.’
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A great ascetic walks toward the broad, flowing Revā, her waters shimmering like liquid crystal, while a line of disciplined disciples follows, each carrying a kamaṇḍalu and staff. The riverbank is alive with sacred stillness—smooth stones, flowering reeds, and a distant shrine—suggesting that the landscape itself participates in purification.","primary_figures":["Great ascetic (the son of Cyavana)","Disciples (śiṣyas)","Personified Revā/Narmadā (optional as a river-goddess)"],"setting":"Narmadā riverbank with ghāṭ-like steps or natural rock terraces, forested slopes, and a small hermitage pavilion.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["river turquoise","sunlit gold","stone gray","leaf emerald","lotus pink"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: the ascetic and disciples approaching Revā, gold leaf on the river’s highlights and haloed river-goddess figure, rich reds/greens in garments, ornate border with conch-lotus motifs, South Indian devotional iconography adapted to a river-tīrtha scene.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: expansive river landscape with delicate brushwork, cool blues and greens, lyrical naturalism in reeds and stones, refined faces of ascetic and disciples, distant shrine nestled in hills.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized flowing river bands, ascetic group in rhythmic procession, red/yellow/green palette with patterned background, temple-wall narrative clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central river as a decorative band with lotus clusters, ascetic procession framed by intricate floral borders, peacocks and cows at margins, deep blue and gold highlights, devotional symmetry suggesting tīrtha-mahātmya."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing water","conch shell (soft)","temple bells at a riverside shrine","wind through reeds","footsteps on stone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: लोकैकपावनीम् = लोक + एक + पावनीम् (समास). सर्वैस्तपोबलसमन्वितैः = सर्वैः + तपोबलसमन्वितैः (विसर्ग-लोप/संधि).
FAQs
It identifies the Revā (Narmadā) as a supreme tīrtha, praised as “lokaikapāvanī,” indicating her pan-Indian sanctity and role as a purifier across realms.
Indirectly, it highlights a devotional sacred landscape: undertaking tapas at a revered river-tīrtha reflects reverence for divinely charged places, a common support for bhakti-oriented practice in Purāṇic tradition.
The verse promotes disciplined spiritual effort (tapas) undertaken in holy company—showing that sincere practice, guided by a teacher and supported by committed disciples, strengthens inner power and purpose.