Shloka 56
Supremacy of Hari-Bhakti in Kali-yuga; Warnings on Sensual Attachment; Praise of Brāhmaṇas, Purāṇa-Listening, and Gaṅgā
द्विजतुंडं महाक्षेत्रमनूषरमकंटकम् । तत्र चेदुप्यते किंचित्कोटिकोटिफलं लभेत्
dvijatuṃḍaṃ mahākṣetramanūṣaramakaṃṭakam | tatra cedupyate kiṃcitkoṭikoṭiphalaṃ labhet
ద్విజతుణ్డము మహాపుణ్యక్షేత్రము—ఉషరముకాదు, ముల్లులేనిది. అక్కడ కొద్దిగా విత్తినచో కూడా కోటి-కోటి గుణ ఫలము లభించును.
Unspecified (narrative voice not provided in the excerpt; commonly presented within a Purāṇic dialogue context)
Concept: Certain sanctified places function as karmic amplifiers: small acts performed there mature into vast results.
Application: Choose environments that support virtue (temples, tīrthas, satsanga); ‘sow’ small daily disciplines—charity, japa, study—trusting compounding spiritual returns.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vast, immaculate sacred field named Dvijatuṇḍa stretches under a clear sky, its soil dark and fertile, utterly free of thorns. A pilgrim sows a tiny handful of seeds, and in a visionary overlay the sprouts rise into luminous, countless harvests—symbolizing koṭi-koṭi phala.","primary_figures":["pilgrim-sower","local brāhmaṇa guide (kṣetra-guardian)","subtle Vishnu-emblems in the sky (śaṅkha-cakra clouds)"],"setting":"open sacred farmland near a small shrine and boundary stones marked with auspicious symbols","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["fertile umber","fresh leaf-green","sky-azure","sun-gold","saffron"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Dvijatuṇḍa as a sanctified field with a small shrine; a devotee sowing seeds; gold leaf used to depict miraculous multiplying harvest and divine aura; rich reds/greens, ornate borders, stylized clouds forming śaṅkha-cakra motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical landscape with terraced fields and distant hills; delicate figure sowing a pinch of seed; fine detailing of thornless plants; a translucent vision of abundant harvest hovering above, rendered with soft washes and refined linework.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold, iconic field scene; the soil and plants stylized in rhythmic patterns; the act of sowing central; divine sanction suggested by a haloed kṣetra-devatā presence; traditional pigment palette with strong outlines.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: field rendered as patterned textile geometry; borders of lotuses and creepers; repeated motifs of sprouting seeds turning into golden grains; subtle Vaishnava symbols and peacocks at the margins, deep blue background with gold accents."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["rustling grain","distant temple bell","morning birds","soft wind over fields"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: महाक्षेत्रमनूषरमकंटकम् = महाक्षेत्रम् + अनूषरम् + अकण्टकम्; चेदुप्यते = चेत् + उप्यते; किंचित्कोटिकोटिफलम् = किंचित् + कोटिकोटिफलम्; द्विजतुंडम् (समास), महाक्षेत्रम् (समास), कोटिकोटिफलम् (समास).
FAQs
It portrays a kṣetra as a spiritually potent place where even small acts (like sowing a little) yield vastly amplified results, expressing the idea of kṣetra-māhātmya—extraordinary merit generated by actions performed in a sanctified location.
It can be read both ways: literally as agricultural sowing in a revered region, and metaphorically as planting virtues—charity, vows, japa, service—whose results are believed to multiply greatly when done in a holy place.
The verse encourages sincere effort over quantity: even a small, well-placed act done with care and faith can have immense consequence, promoting humility, consistency, and reverence for sacred contexts.