Shloka 71
Karma, Non-Violence, Tīrtha & Gaṅgā Merit, Vaiṣṇava Protection, Śālagrāma Worship, and Ekādaśī as Deliverance
दुर्जरं पातकं तीर्थे दुर्जरश्च प्रतिग्रहः । तीर्थे च दुर्जरं सर्वमेतत्किन्नरकं व्रजेत्
durjaraṃ pātakaṃ tīrthe durjaraśca pratigrahaḥ | tīrthe ca durjaraṃ sarvametatkinnarakaṃ vrajet
తీర్థంలో పాపక్షయం చేయడం దుర్లభం; ప్రతిగ్రహం (దానం స్వీకరించడం) కూడా దుర్లభఫలదాయకం. తీర్థంలో చేసిన ఈ సమస్తమూ దాటడం కష్టం—అటువంటి ఆచారం నరకానికి తీసుకుపోదా?
Unspecified (context-dependent within Svarga-khaṇḍa dialogues)
Concept: At sacred places, wrongdoing and compromised transactions (especially gift-taking) become exceptionally difficult to expiate; therefore, fear of naraka should restrain conduct.
Application: On pilgrimage, keep accounts clean: avoid accepting questionable gifts, do not solicit, and if you must receive, do so with transparency and for service; practice confession/atonement immediately if a lapse occurs.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A pilgrim stands at a sacred ford holding out his hands, hesitating before accepting a heavy pouch of coins offered by a dubious donor; the pouch appears as a dark, thorny mass. Behind them, the tīrtha water glows with purity, while a faint vision of naraka—iron gates and smoky winds—hovers like a warning mirage above the steps.","primary_figures":["hesitant pilgrim/ascetic","dubious donor (symbolic)","shadow-forms of naraka guardians (faint)"],"setting":"stone ghāṭa at a tīrtha with a small dharmaśālā and shrine; warning-vision in the sky like a moral overlay","lighting_mood":"storm-cleared twilight with sharp highlights","color_palette":["smoke charcoal","steel blue","holy-water turquoise","rust red","pale gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central moral tableau at a ghāṭa—ascetic refusing a dark coin-pouch; gold leaf on sacred water and halo-like tīrtha aura; naraka gates as a small corner vignette; rich maroons and greens, ornate borders, jewel-like shrine details.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate figures on ghāṭa steps, the coin-pouch painted as an unnatural dark knot; a translucent naraka vision in the clouds; cool palette, refined faces, subtle moral symbolism, distant hills and temple spire.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized gestures of refusal, the coin-pouch as a black-red motif; naraka imagery simplified into iconic gates and flames; warm pigments, temple-wall composition, expressive eyes conveying caution.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical ghāṭa scene framed by floral borders; central sacred water with gold ripples; side medallions show ‘pratigraha’ as a dark lotus and ‘tyāga’ as a white lotus; deep indigo and gold with intricate motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low drum (mridanga)","wind hush","temple bell (single strikes)","river flow","brief silence after ‘narakaṃ vrajet’"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: durjaraḥ ca ← durjaraḥ + ca; sarvam etat kim narakam ← sarvam + etat + kim + narakam; etat kim often written as etatkim; kinnarakaṃ in IAST reflects sandhi: kim + narakam → kinnarakam (m+n→nn).
FAQs
It cautions that actions at pilgrimage sites carry heightened moral weight—especially sins and the improper acceptance of gifts—raising the question of karmic consequences.
Pratigraha refers to accepting gifts or donations, particularly when taken improperly (e.g., from unfit sources or with impure motives), which is treated as spiritually burdensome.
Sacred places do not automatically purify misconduct; instead, one should be especially vigilant about integrity, restraint, and purity of intention at tīrthas.