Shloka 120
The Tale of the Five Pretas and the Glory of Puṣkara & the Eastern Sarasvatī
प्राची सेति बुधैर्ज्ञेया ब्रह्मणो वचनं तथा । तत्र शुद्धावटंनाम तीर्थं पैतामहं स्मृतम्
prācī seti budhairjñeyā brahmaṇo vacanaṃ tathā | tatra śuddhāvaṭaṃnāma tīrthaṃ paitāmahaṃ smṛtam
ตามพระวาจาของพระพรหม บัณฑิตพึงรู้ว่า ที่นั้นเรียกว่า “ปราจี”. ณ ที่นั้นมีทีรถะศักดิ์สิทธิ์นาม “ศุทธาวฏะ” อันเป็นทีรถะของปิตามหะ (พระพรหม) ตามที่จดจำสืบมา.
Unspecified narrator (contextual dialogue not provided in the input)
Concept: Sacred geography is validated by śruti-smṛti authority: a tīrtha is known through Brahmā’s word and the memory of the wise.
Application: Seek guidance from reliable tradition (guru/śāstra) when choosing practices and pilgrimages; let ‘purity’ (śuddhi) be the criterion, not novelty.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A venerable banyan tree rises like a living pillar at the edge of a quiet ford, its aerial roots forming natural arches over a stone-marked ghāṭa. A subtle inscription-like aura—‘Prācī’—seems to hover in the air, as if Brahmā’s decree has become landscape, while pilgrims pause in hushed recognition of an ancient name.","primary_figures":["Brahmā (as subtle visionary presence or icon)","Pilgrims/sages (optional)"],"setting":"Śuddhāvaṭa-tīrtha: banyan-shaded river ford with worn steps, small Brahmā shrine or lotus-emblem altar, ritual vessels placed neatly on the sand.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["banyan green","sandstone beige","sunrise amber","copper brown","sky pale blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Central massive Śuddhāvaṭa banyan with gold-leaf highlights on leaves and roots; a small Brahmā icon in a niche with ornate prabhāmaṇḍala, pilgrims offering water at the ghāṭa; rich reds/greens, embossed gold borders, temple-arch framing, jewel-like detailing on vessels and crowns.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: A lyrical banyan by a gentle ford, thin ink lines for roots, soft washes for dawn sky; a discreet Brahmā shrine with lotus motif, sages pointing as if naming ‘Prācī’; cool natural palette with delicate amber accents, intimate scale and poetic stillness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Stylized banyan with rhythmic leaf clusters, bold outlines; Brahmā depicted with four faces in a small sanctum panel, pilgrims in profile; warm earthy reds and yellows, temple-wall texture, ornamental borders and symmetrical composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Decorative banyan canopy forming an ornate mandala-like frame around a central tīrtha-ghāṭa; lotus and vine borders, small Brahmā emblem at center; deep blue ground with gold and white detailing, patterned water ripples and floral motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["flowing water","wooden temple clappers","soft bell chimes","rustling leaves","low tanpura drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सेति = सा + इति; बुधैर्ज्ञेया = बुधैः + ज्ञेया; शुद्धावटंनाम = शुद्धावटं + नाम; पदच्छेदे ‘शुद्धावटं नाम’ इति।
FAQs
It identifies a specific sacred locality—Prācī—and situates within it the tīrtha called Śuddhāvaṭa, showing how the text maps holiness onto named regions and pilgrimage sites.
Rather than prescribing a ritual here, the verse grounds the tīrtha’s authority in revered tradition (Brahmā’s word and remembrance), a common Purāṇic bhakti pattern where faith in sacred places and transmitted testimony supports devotion.
It highlights epistemic humility: the wise are those who recognize and preserve authoritative sacred memory (smṛti) and respect the sanctity of places associated with divine figures.