Shloka 10
Praise of Pilgrimage (Tīrtha) and Prelude to the Greatness of Prayāga
तस्माद्दुष्कृतकर्माणि नाशयेत्तीर्थसेवनात् । अन्यथा नरकं याति कर्म्मभोगाद्धि शाम्यति
tasmādduṣkṛtakarmāṇi nāśayettīrthasevanāt | anyathā narakaṃ yāti karmmabhogāddhi śāmyati
కాబట్టి తీర్థసేవను ఆశ్రయించి దుష్కృతకర్మలను నశింపజేయాలి; లేకపోతే మనిషి నరకానికి వెళ్తాడు, ఎందుకంటే కర్మ భోగంతోనే శమిస్తుంది.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Adhyaya 40)
Concept: Sinful deeds should be destroyed through service to tīrthas; otherwise one falls to hell, since karma is exhausted by being experienced (bhoga) when not otherwise purified.
Application: Engage in periodic tīrtha-related service: cleanliness drives, feeding pilgrims, supporting temple maintenance, sincere snāna/dāna with repentance; pair with daily nāma-japa and ethical restraint to prevent new pāpa.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A pilgrim stands at a tīrtha-ghāṭa offering service—sweeping steps, lighting a lamp, and giving water to travelers—while dark, smoky forms labeled as ‘pāpa’ dissolve into the river’s shimmer. In the distance, a shadowy naraka chasm fades as a bright path opens upward, illustrating the verse’s warning and remedy.","primary_figures":["Pilgrim/devotee performing tīrtha-sevā","Symbolic forms of pāpa dissolving","Yama’s realm (distant symbolic)"],"setting":"Stone ghāṭa with a small shrine, banyan and aśvattha silhouettes, pilgrims resting; the river acts as a luminous boundary between purification and downfall.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["midnight blue","smoke gray","lamp-flame amber","river silver","purity white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dramatic contrast—foreground devotee with gold-leaf lamp and shimmering river highlights; pāpa forms rendered as dark ornamental swirls dissolving into gold-silver water; distant naraka depicted in subdued reds and blacks, fading behind a radiant golden path; ornate borders emphasizing moral gravity.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: narrative ghāṭa scene under cool moonlight; subtle gradients in the river; symbolic dark clouds of sin dispersing; distant cliff-like naraka hinted softly; gentle, instructive mood with refined figures and quiet realism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; symbolic bands—upper band bright path, lower band dark naraka; central devotee performing service with lamp and broom; strong red/yellow/green palette with deep blues, didactic iconography.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: river as central horizontal ribbon with lotus motifs; devotee offering lamp and water; dark sin-forms stylized as fading floral knots; border filled with repeating lamps and lotus buds; deep indigo with gold and white highlights, moral allegory in devotional aesthetics."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["flowing water","single temple bell strikes","low conch shell","hushed crowd ambience"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तस्माद् + दुष्कृतकर्माणि → तस्माद्दुष्कृतकर्माणि; नाशयेत् + तीर्थसेवनात् → नाशयेत्तीर्थसेवनात्; कर्मभोगात् + हि → कर्म्मभोगाद्धि (द्वित्व/अनुस्वार-परिवर्तनं पाठभेदेन)।
FAQs
It presents tīrtha-sevā as a means of destroying (neutralizing) sinful karma, functioning as a purificatory practice rather than merely a religious journey.
It reflects the karmic principle that results of actions persist until they are either purified/neutralized through prescribed means or fully “spent” by undergoing their consequences—here described as leading to naraka if not addressed.
The verse urges proactive moral and spiritual responsibility: do not ignore wrongdoing; seek purification and reform, otherwise one must face the painful outcomes of one’s actions.