Shloka 40
The Deeds of Cyavana
in the Context of Guru-tirtha Glorification
कः समर्थो महातीर्थो ब्रह्महत्यां व्यपोहितुम् । गोवधाख्यं महापापं स्त्रीवधाख्यमनुत्तमम्
kaḥ samartho mahātīrtho brahmahatyāṃ vyapohitum | govadhākhyaṃ mahāpāpaṃ strīvadhākhyamanuttamam
มหาตีรถะใดเล่าจึงสามารถขจัดบาปพราหมณ์ฆาตได้ ทั้งมหาบาปที่เรียกว่าโควธะ (ฆ่าวัว) และบาปอันยิ่งที่เรียกว่าสตรีวธะ (ฆ่าหญิง) ด้วย?
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (a questioner addressing a listener about the power of a mahātīrtha)
Concept: Even the gravest transgressions drive the seeker toward purification; sacred geography functions as a compassionate remedial path when joined with repentance and right conduct.
Application: Acknowledge wrongdoing without denial; seek structured atonement (confession, restitution, disciplined practice, pilgrimage/ritual if appropriate) and commit to non-repetition.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A penitent figure stands at the edge of a vast sacred ford, hands trembling in prayer, while shadowy forms symbolizing brahmahatyā, go-vadha, and strī-vadha loom behind like dark smoke. Across the water, a radiant tīrtha-deity or river-goddess shines, promising cleansing as lotus petals drift toward the supplicant.","primary_figures":["Penitent seeker (symbolic)","Personified Mahātīrtha / river-goddess","Shadow-forms of mahāpātakas (allegorical)","Vishnu’s distant presence as sanctifying aura (subtle)"],"setting":"River confluence or broad ghāṭa with ancient steps, banyan trees, and a small shrine with a Viṣṇu emblem","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["smoky charcoal","river turquoise","sunrise gold","lotus pink","sandalwood beige"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a grand ghāṭa scene with a central river-goddess/tīrtha-deity haloed in gold leaf; penitent in añjali at the steps; allegorical dark clouds of sin rendered at the margins; ornate shrine with Viṣṇu symbols; heavy gold embellishment on water highlights and jewelry, rich reds and greens, embossed lotus borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: quiet dawn at a river confluence; delicate ripples and floating lotuses; penitent figure small against the landscape; sins suggested as faint grey silhouettes dissolving into mist; cool blues and soft saffron sky; refined, lyrical naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: symbolic composition—river as a broad band of turquoise; tīrtha-deity with bold outlines and large eyes; sins as stylized dark attendants receding; warm ochres and reds for the ghāṭa; ornamental lotus and conch motifs framing the scene.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a sacred water scene filled with lotus motifs; central radiant tīrtha-deity; intricate floral borders; deep blue water with gold highlights; peacocks and swans; devotional symmetry, with sin-forms depicted as fading dark patterns at the edges."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["flowing water","low temple bell","distant conch","wind through banyan leaves"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: महातीर्थो = महातीर्थः (visarga sandhi before voiced consonant); स्त्रीवधाख्यमनुत्तमम् = स्त्रीवधाख्यम् + अनुत्तमम्.
FAQs
It asks which great tīrtha is powerful enough to dispel the gravest sins—brahmin-slaying, cow-killing, and woman-slaying.
They are presented as paradigmatic mahāpāpas (grave moral transgressions), highlighting the seriousness of harm to sacred/socially protected lives and the need for profound atonement.
It underscores the gravity of violence and wrongful killing, and frames pilgrimage/expiation discourse within a strong moral awareness of severe wrongdoing.