Shloka 97
Puṣkara Sacrifice: Gāyatrī’s Marriage, Sāvitrī’s Wrath, Rudra’s Test, and the Tīrtha-Māhātmya
रुद्रकोट्यां विरूपाक्षे मित्रस्यापि तथा वने । तीर्थेष्वेतेषु सर्वेषु सिद्धिर्या द्वादशाब्दिका
rudrakoṭyāṃ virūpākṣe mitrasyāpi tathā vane | tīrtheṣveteṣu sarveṣu siddhiryā dvādaśābdikā
ณ รุทรโกฏี ณ วิรูปाक्षะ และในป่าของมิตระด้วย—ในทีรถะศักดิ์สิทธิ์เหล่านี้ทั้งหมด ความสำเร็จทางธรรมที่ได้ เทียบเท่าผลแห่งการบำเพ็ญเพียรสิบสองปี
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses of Adhyaya 17).
Concept: Certain tīrthas yield the siddhi equivalent to twelve years of disciplined practice, indicating the catalytic role of sacred space when approached properly.
Application: Treat sacred visits as periods of intensified sādhana: celibacy/restraint, truthfulness, japa, charity; avoid ‘tourism’ mentality to unlock the promised acceleration.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A triad of sacred sites depicted like three jewels: a rugged shrine of Rudrakoṭī with rudrākṣa trees and ash-smeared ascetics, the towering Virūpākṣa temple rising beside a calm river, and a serene Mitra-vana where sunlight filters through sal trees onto a meditation circle. Above each site, a faint clock-like halo dissolves into a lotus, symbolizing ‘twelve years’ compressed into a single pilgrimage moment.","primary_figures":["ascetics performing tapas","pilgrims offering water and flowers","Virūpākṣa (as temple deity icon)","tīrtha-pāla guardians"],"setting":"Rocky shrine precinct, grand temple gopura by a riverbank, and a tranquil forest hermitage clearing with a small altar.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["stone gray","leaf green","vermillion","river blue","smoke white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: three-panel composition—Rudrakoṭī shrine with ash-smeared tapasvins, Virūpākṣa temple with ornate gopura and deity halo, Mitra-vana forest meditation scene; heavy gold leaf for halos and temple ornaments, rich reds/greens, embossed detailing, symmetrical devotional layout.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate triptych landscape with rocky outcrops and small shrines, a riverbank temple with refined architecture, and a lyrical forest glade; subtle depiction of ‘time-compressed merit’ as faint lotus halos, cool greens and blues, fine facial features.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined Virūpākṣa icon within temple frame, Rudrakoṭī ascetics with stylized ash markings, Mitra-vana trees in rhythmic patterns; natural pigment palette with strong reds/yellows/greens, sacred symbols floating above to indicate siddhi.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lotus medallion labeled ‘dvādaśābdika-siddhi’ surrounded by miniature vignettes of the three tīrthas, ornate floral borders, peacocks at forest edge, deep blue ground with gold highlights and patterned temple motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["wind through trees","temple bell strikes","river hush","low drone (tanpura)","occasional conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: मित्रस्यापि → मित्रस्य अपि; तीर्थेष्वेतेषु → तीर्थेषु एतेषु; सिद्धिर्या → सिद्धिः या.
FAQs
It lists multiple named pilgrimage locations—Rudrakoṭī, Virūpākṣa, and Mitra’s forest—showing how the Padma Purana maps holiness onto specific places and treats them as spiritually potent tīrthas.
It states that visiting these tīrthas yields a “siddhi” comparable to what one would gain through twelve years of sustained spiritual discipline, highlighting tīrtha-yātrā as a powerful religious practice.
The verse encourages prioritizing sincere, disciplined spiritual effort—here expressed through pilgrimage to sanctified places—by presenting it as an efficient means to significant religious attainment.