Shloka 42
The Glory of Śrāddha at Sacred Fords and the Determination of the Kutapa Time
गोवर्द्धनं हरिश्चंद्रं पुरश्चन्द्रं पृथूदकम् । सहस्राक्षं हिरण्याक्षं तथा च कदलीनदी
govarddhanaṃ hariścaṃdraṃ puraścandraṃ pṛthūdakam | sahasrākṣaṃ hiraṇyākṣaṃ tathā ca kadalīnadī
โควรรธนะ หริศจันทร ปุรศจันทร ปฤถูทกะ; สหัสรากษะ หิรัณยากษะ—และแม่น้ำกะดาลีด้วย
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses in Adhyaya 11).
Concept: Pilgrimage is remembrance embodied: sacred sites preserve dharma-stories and make them accessible as lived practice through darśana, snāna, and disciplined conduct.
Application: Adopt a ‘Govardhana principle’ in daily life: protect and nourish what sustains others (family, community, environment); keep a small routine of circumambulation (pradakṣiṇā) around a sacred object or Tulasi pot even when not traveling.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Govardhana hill rises like a green-blue jewel, ringed by pilgrims performing parikramā with prayer beads, while small shrines dot its slopes. Nearby, a serene river labeled Kadālī flows past banana groves, and stone markers bear the names Hariścandra, Puraścandra, and Pṛthūdaka, as if the landscape itself is a litany of dharma.","primary_figures":["pilgrims","cowherds (as Vraja ambience)","Kṛṣṇa (as a subtle blessing presence)","river goddess Kadālī"],"setting":"Vraja-like pastoral terrain with Govardhana hill, cow paths, banana groves by the river, and small tīrtha-kundas with steps.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["peacock blue","leaf green","butter yellow","earth brown","cloud white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Govardhana hill as a central icon with gold leaf outlining its contours; pilgrims in bright garments circumambulating; miniature shrines and cows; Kadālī river with embossed gold ripples and banana groves; rich reds and greens, ornate borders, gem-like highlights on jewelry and temple arches.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle pastoral Vraja landscape with Govardhana in soft blue-green washes; delicate cows and pilgrims on winding paths; Kadālī river glinting through banana trees; refined faces, airy sky, lyrical naturalism and cool palette accents.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized Govardhana mound with bold outlines; rhythmic procession of pilgrims and cows; Kadālī river as patterned wave band; warm ochres, greens, and reds with characteristic eye forms; temple-wall compositional symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Govardhana parikramā mandala with concentric rings of pilgrims and cows; lotus and banana-leaf motifs for Kadālī; deep indigo background with gold detailing; intricate floral borders, peacocks, and devotional inscriptions of the tīrtha names."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["cow bells","footsteps on dusty path","river flow","temple bells","soft kirtan refrain"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: हरिश्चंद्रं = हरि + चन्द्रम् (नामरूपे संधि)। पुरश्चन्द्रं = पुरस् + चन्द्रम्।
FAQs
It functions as a catalog-style line, naming multiple sacred sites (tīrthas/holy places and a river), reflecting the Padma Purāṇa’s encyclopedic mapping of pilgrimage geography.
Indirectly: by naming revered places associated with sacred memory and worship, it supports pilgrimage and devotional practice, even though this particular verse itself is primarily a list rather than a doctrinal statement.
The ethical thrust in such tīrtha-lists is reverence for sacred spaces and disciplined pilgrimage (yātrā) as a purifying practice; the specific moral framing depends on the surrounding narrative context.