Shloka 27
The Glory of Śrāddha at Sacred Fords and the Determination of the Kutapa Time
तीर्थं वैनायकं नाम वस्त्रेश्वरमनुत्तमम् । तथा पापहरं नाम पुण्या वेत्रवती नदी
tīrthaṃ vaināyakaṃ nāma vastreśvaramanuttamam | tathā pāpaharaṃ nāma puṇyā vetravatī nadī
มีทิรถะชื่อ ไวนายกะ และสถานศักดิ์สิทธิ์ วัสเตรศวระ อันยอดยิ่ง อีกทั้งมีทิรถะชื่อ ปาปหระ และมีแม่น้ำเวตรวตีอันเป็นมงคลศักดิ์สิทธิ์อยู่ด้วย
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses; commonly a Purāṇic narrator within the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa).
Concept: Approaching sacred waters and tīrthas with faith and right conduct is portrayed as ‘pāpa-hara’—a practical path of purification accessible beyond elite asceticism.
Application: Create a ‘pāpahara’ routine: daily self-review, confession before the divine, simple acts of restitution, and steady nāma-japa; when traveling, treat rivers/temples with ecological and ritual respect.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On the banks of the Vetravatī, a stone ghāṭ leads into clear flowing water where pilgrims perform snāna. At one side stands a small Vaināyaka shrine with Gaṇeśa garlanded in durvā grass, while nearby a Vastreśvara liṅga is draped in fine cloth; a signboard-like carved slab reads ‘Pāpahara’ as lamps float downstream, symbolizing sins carried away.","primary_figures":["Gaṇeśa (Vaināyaka)","Śiva-liṅga (Vastreśvara)","pilgrims","a priest performing ārati"],"setting":"River ghāṭ on Vetravatī with shrines, cloth offerings, floating lamps, and banyan shade; small market of flowers and incense at the edge.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sapphire blue","river green","lamp flame gold","cloth crimson","stone beige"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Vetravatī river ghāṭ with Gaṇeśa Vaināyaka shrine and Vastreśvara liṅga draped in ornate textiles, gold leaf for lamp flames and deity halos, gem-studded ornaments, rich crimson and emerald garments, intricate carved ‘Pāpahara’ slab motif, heavy ornamental border with lotus and wave patterns.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle riverside scene with delicate ghāṭ steps, small Gaṇeśa shrine under a canopy, Śiva-liṅga wrapped in cloth, pilgrims in soft pastel attire, floating diyas on rippling water, refined faces and lyrical composition, cool blues/greens with warm gold highlights.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined river band, frontal Gaṇeśa icon with durvā, stylized liṅga with cloth patterns, devotees in simplified poses, strong ochre-red-green palette, temple-wall symmetry and floral borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate river festival-like composition with many floating lamps, lotus clusters, peacocks near the bank, central shrine vignette framed by floral garlands, deep indigo water with gold wave highlights, intricate textile patterns on the Vastreśvara drapery."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing river","hand bell during ārati","soft conch shell","murmured mantras","clinking bangles and footsteps on ghāṭ"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वस्त्रेश्वरम् = वस्त्र + ईश्वरम् (अ + ई = ए). अन्यत्र स्पष्ट-सन्धिः न आवश्यकः।
FAQs
It catalogs multiple named tīrthas and a holy river in a single locality or circuit, reflecting the Purāṇic practice of mapping sacred merit onto real-world landscapes through place-names and pilgrimage nodes.
By highlighting tīrthas and a sanctifying river, it points to devotional practice expressed through pilgrimage, remembrance of sacred names, and reverence for places associated with divine presence and purification.
The verse frames sacred travel and contact with holy places as a means of inner cleansing—encouraging moral reform through repentance, purification, and disciplined religious observance rather than mere worldly ambition.