Shloka 13
Pilgrimage Sequence on Sacred Fords (Narmadā Region): Bhṛgu-tīrtha, Śiva-vratas, and Merit Amplification
ततो गच्छेत राजेंद्र ऋषितीर्थमनुत्तमम् । तृणबिंदुऋषिर्नाम शापदग्धो व्यवस्थितः
tato gaccheta rājeṃdra ṛṣitīrthamanuttamam | tṛṇabiṃduṛṣirnāma śāpadagdho vyavasthitaḥ
అనంతరం, ఓ రాజేంద్రా, ఆ అనుత్తమ ఋషితీర్థమునకు వెళ్లవలెను; అక్కడ తృణబిందు అనే ఋషి శాపదగ్ధుడై నివసించుచున్నాడు.
Not explicitly stated in this verse (contextual narrator within a pilgrimage-description passage).
Concept: Approaching a ṛṣi-tīrtha with reverence connects the pilgrim to concentrated tapas and the moral drama of curse and purification.
Application: Seek sanctifying environments and mentors; when encountering suffering (even in holy persons), respond with reverence and service rather than judgment.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A forest-fringed riverbank opens to a quiet ford marked by ancient stone steps and kusa grass. Under a gnarled fig tree sits Sage Tṛṇabindu, his body bearing the ashen trace of a curse, yet his eyes blaze with tapas; a kingly pilgrim approaches with folded hands, guided by the hush of sanctity.","primary_figures":["Sage Tṛṇabindu","pilgrim king (rājendra)","forest hermits","river spirits (optional)"],"setting":"Riverside tīrtha with stone ghats, fig tree, hermitage huts, deer and peacocks nearby","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["river jade","leaf green","stone gray","saffron ochre","smoke ash"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: the king offering respects at a riverside ghat, Sage Tṛṇabindu seated beneath a sacred tree, gold leaf highlighting the sage’s aura and the tīrtha’s sanctity; rich earthy reds/greens, ornate borders, stylized flora.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical forest river scene with delicate foliage, the sage’s austere form and the king’s refined attire; cool greens and soft browns, gentle ripples, intimate devotional mood.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines of the sage under the tree, stylized river steps, attendants in rhythmic arrangement; natural pigment palette with strong reds/yellows/greens and temple-wall symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: tīrtha framed by lotus and floral borders, symmetrical trees and birds, the sage as central medallion figure with a subtle halo; deep greens and blues with gold detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing water","forest birds","soft handbell","rustle of leaves"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tṛṇabiṃduṛṣirnāma = tṛṇabindu-ṛṣiḥ nāma; rājeṃdra = rājendra; ṛṣitīrthamanuttamam = ṛṣitīrtham anuttamam
FAQs
It frames a specific destination—an “unsurpassed” ṛṣi-tīrtha—showing how the Padma Purana maps sanctity onto places associated with sages, not only with major deities or rivers.
Indirectly: it promotes tīrtha-yātrā and reverence for holy places connected to realized sages, a common devotional practice that supports humility and sacred remembrance.
By noting that even a sage can be “scorched by a curse,” the verse points to moral causality and the seriousness of speech and conduct—highlighting restraint and accountability.