Shloka 19
The Glory of Śrāddha at Sacred Fords and the Determination of the Kutapa Time
एतानि पितृतीर्थानि सर्वपापहराणि च । स्मरणादपि लोकानां किमु श्राद्धप्रदायिनाम्
etāni pitṛtīrthāni sarvapāpaharāṇi ca | smaraṇādapi lokānāṃ kimu śrāddhapradāyinām
ตถาคตแห่งปิตฤตียรถะเหล่านี้ลบล้างบาปทั้งปวง หากเพียงระลึกถึงก็ชำระผู้คนให้บริสุทธิ์ได้ แล้วผู้ที่ประกอบศราทธะถวาย ณ ที่นั้น จะยิ่งได้ผลเพียงใด
Unspecified (narratorial voice within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa context)
Concept: Smaraṇa of sacred places purifies; actual śrāddha performed there yields even greater purification and merit.
Application: Keep a daily practice of remembering sacred places/deities (nāma-smaraṇa, tīrtha-smaraṇa); when possible, perform śrāddha with sincerity, charity, and restraint.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A contemplative sage sits beside a manuscript and a small water pot, reciting the names of pitṛ-tīrthas; as he remembers them, faint luminous visions of river ghāṭas and shrines appear like floating mandars in the air. In the foreground, a family performs śrāddha—offering sesame-water and piṇḍas—while the atmosphere subtly clears, symbolizing sins dissolving through remembrance and rite.","primary_figures":["Narrator-sage","Householder family performing śrāddha","Pitṛs (subtle, receiving)"],"setting":"Hermitage near a riverbank with a simple altar; visions of multiple tīrthas appearing in the sky like sacred vignettes.","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["smoky sandalwood brown","lamp-gold","river teal","ash white","maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Central seated sage with palm-leaf manuscript, gold-leaf aura; to one side, śrāddha ritual with ornate vessels and darbha; above, miniature gold-framed vignettes of tīrthas floating like icons; rich reds/greens, heavy jewelry detailing on ritual objects, symmetrical devotional composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Quiet domestic-ritual scene with delicate gestures—tilting water for tarpaṇa, placing piṇḍas; soft evening lamplight; airy negative space where translucent tīrtha visions hover; cool river tones and refined facial expressions conveying serenity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Bold outlines; sage and householders in profile; stylized flame lamps and ritual implements; sins depicted as dark wisps dissolving into pale halos; traditional red-yellow-green palette with strong compositional bands.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Border of lotus and sesame motifs; central śrāddha altar framed by floral patterns; above, circular medallions naming/depicting tīrthas; deep indigo ground with gold highlights, devotional textile richness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","silence between phrases","flowing water","low hum of mantra","crackling lamp flame"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्मरणादपि → स्मरणात् + अपि; किमु → किम् + उ (निपातसमुच्चय)
FAQs
It presents Pitṛ-tīrthas (ancestral sacred places) as universally purifying, emphasizing that their spiritual efficacy is so strong that even remembrance is said to remove sin.
By arguing from “lesser to greater”: if mere remembrance yields purification, then performing śrāddha (ancestral rites/offerings) at such a place is implied to confer even greater merit and cleansing.
It encourages maintaining ancestral responsibility (pitṛ-kṛtya) and valuing intention and memory in religious life—remembering sacred places and performing śrāddha are both framed as meaningful, sin-removing disciplines.