Shloka 24
Ratnagrīva’s Pilgrimage and the Prescribed Procedure for Visiting Sacred Tīrthas
यस्य हस्तौ च पादौ च मनश्चैव सुसंहितम् । विद्या तपश्च कीर्तिश्च स तीर्थफलमश्नुते
yasya hastau ca pādau ca manaścaiva susaṃhitam | vidyā tapaśca kīrtiśca sa tīrthaphalamaśnute
ผู้ใดมีมือและเท้า ตลอดจนจิตใจที่สำรวมมั่นคง ประกอบด้วยความรู้ ตบะ และเกียรติคุณ ผู้นั้นย่อมเสวยผลแห่งการจาริกทีรถะ
Unspecified (contextual narrator within Pātāla-khaṇḍa dialogue; commonly framed in the Pulastya–Bhīṣma discourse in this khanda)
Concept: Tīrtha bears full fruit for the self-controlled person whose actions (hands/feet) and mind are restrained and aligned with vidyā and tapas.
Application: Treat pilgrimage (or any sacred practice) as a discipline of conduct: mindful walking, ethical action, study, and austerity; make daily life itself a ‘tīrtha’ by restraint and reputation grounded in virtue.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A disciplined pilgrim stands at a quiet river-ford, hands folded, feet dusted from the road, eyes lowered in inner restraint. Around him, subtle symbols of learning and austerity—palm-leaf manuscripts, a water-pot, and a simple staff—glow as if the tīrtha responds to his self-mastery.","primary_figures":["self-controlled pilgrim (vaiṣṇava yātrika)","invisible presence of Hari (suggested by aura or śaṅkha-cakra motifs)"],"setting":"riverbank tīrtha with stone steps (ghāṭa), banyan and aśvattha trees, small shrine with śaṅkha-cakra emblem, pilgrims in the distance","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["saffron ochre","river-silver","leaf green","lotus pink","burnished gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a serene vaiṣṇava pilgrim at a ghāṭa, hands in añjali, simple white dhotī with saffron border, behind him a small shrine bearing śaṅkha and cakra; use heavy gold leaf for the shrine halo and river highlights, rich reds and greens in the border, gem-studded ornaments only on the deity-symbols, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lone pilgrim on stone steps by a clear river, delicate brushwork showing controlled posture and calm face, cool morning mist, distant hills and temple spire, lyrical naturalism with refined features, soft blues and greens, tiny manuscript bundle and kamaṇḍalu as narrative details.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, natural pigments, temple-wall aesthetic; depict the pilgrim with large expressive eyes and composed stance, a stylized river with rhythmic waves, a small vaiṣṇava shrine with śaṅkha-cakra, dominant red/yellow/green palette with gold accents for sacred aura.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: tīrtha-ghāṭa framed by intricate floral borders and lotus motifs; central pilgrim in devotion with subtle Krishna-Vishnu symbols (śaṅkha-cakra) above, peacocks near the water, deep indigo background with gold detailing, Nathdwara-inspired ornamented margins."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["flowing water","soft temple bells","distant conch shell","morning birds","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: manaścaiva → manaḥ + ca + eva; tapaśca → tapaḥ + ca; kīrtiśca → kīrtiḥ + ca; tīrthaphalam aśnute → tīrtha-phalam + aśnute.
FAQs
It frames tīrtha-phala as something attained through inner discipline—control of action (hands and feet) and thought (mind)—supported by learning and austerity, not merely by travel to sacred places.
Hands and feet symbolize outward conduct—what one does and where one goes—while the mind is the inner driver. The verse emphasizes that both external behavior and inner intention must be restrained for spiritual merit to mature.
Ethical self-governance: disciplined action, disciplined movement, and disciplined thought, complemented by knowledge and tapas, are presented as the foundation for earning sacred merit.