Shloka 81
The Glory of Śrāddha at Sacred Fords and the Determination of the Kutapa Time
सत्यं तीर्थं दया तीर्थं तीर्थमिन्द्रियनिग्रहः । वर्णाश्रमाणां गेहेपि तीर्थं शम उदाहृतम्
satyaṃ tīrthaṃ dayā tīrthaṃ tīrthamindriyanigrahaḥ | varṇāśramāṇāṃ gehepi tīrthaṃ śama udāhṛtam
สัจจะเป็นทีรถะ เมตตากรุณาเป็นทีรถะ การสำรวมอินทรีย์เป็นทีรถะ แม้อยู่ในเรือนของผู้ดำรงธรรมตามวรรณะและอาศรม ก็ประกาศว่า “ศมะ” คือความสงบระงับใจ เป็นทีรถะ
Not explicitly specified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses).
Concept: Virtues are true tīrthas; inner purity can equal or surpass external pilgrimage.
Application: Treat daily life as pilgrimage: speak truth, practice compassion, restrain impulses, and cultivate calm—especially within family and work responsibilities.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Inside a simple household courtyard, a family performs daily duties with quiet dignity: a mother offers food with compassion, a father speaks truthfully to a visitor, and a youth practices restraint before a small lamp-lit shrine. Above them, the virtues appear as subtle personifications—Satya, Dayā, and Śama—like translucent guardians turning the home into a sacred ford.","primary_figures":["Householder family (gṛhastha)","Personifications of Satya, Dayā, Śama (optional)","A small Viṣṇu shrine presence (optional)"],"setting":"Domestic courtyard with tulsi platform implied but not central; small altar, water pot, clean threshold, calm everyday sacredness","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lamp gold","indigo shadow","clay terracotta","leaf green","ivory white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: gṛhastha home rendered like a sanctum—gold leaf highlights on the lamp flame and shrine; figures with serene faces embodying satya and dayā; ornate border with lotus and conch motifs; subtle halos around personified virtues, rich reds and greens with gem-like accents.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate domestic scene with delicate brushwork; soft evening light, refined expressions; small shrine in a corner, calm gestures of charity and restraint; lyrical naturalism with a quiet garden backdrop and gentle color gradations.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines and iconic poses—truth, compassion, and self-restraint shown as symbolic figures hovering protectively; warm reds/yellows/greens; temple-wall aesthetic that elevates the household into a sacred space.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central courtyard framed by intricate floral borders; repeated lotus motifs symbolizing tīrtha; peacocks and cows at the periphery; deep blue ground with gold filigree, a small shrine with conch-chakra patterns suggesting Vaiṣṇava devotion."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft lamp crackle","distant bell","morning birds","gentle silence","low tanpura drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: tīrtham+indriyanigrahaḥ → tīrthamindriyanigrahaḥ; gehe+api → gehepi.
FAQs
It defines tīrtha primarily as inner virtues—truth, compassion, and control of the senses—suggesting that purification is achieved through ethical and mental discipline, not only by visiting external holy sites.
It states that even while living at home within varṇa- and āśrama-obligations, one can possess a ‘tīrtha’ through śama—inner calm and self-mastery—making spiritual purity accessible in everyday life.
The verse elevates character over location: truthfulness, compassion, sense-restraint, and tranquility are presented as the highest purifiers, implying that moral conduct is itself sacred practice.