Shloka 55
Praise of the Merits of Sacred Ponds, Tree-Planting, and Water-Charities
साक्षात्पापाद्भवेन्मुक्तस्तत्प्रसादात्तु सद्गतिः । जनेषु श्रावयेद्यस्तु पुण्याख्यानमिदं शुभम्
sākṣātpāpādbhavenmuktastatprasādāttu sadgatiḥ | janeṣu śrāvayedyastu puṇyākhyānamidaṃ śubham
ด้วยพระกรุณาแห่งธรรมนี้ บุคคลย่อมหลุดพ้นจากบาปโดยตรง และบรรลุคติอันเป็นมงคล และผู้ใดทำให้ผู้คนได้ฟังเรื่องเล่าธรรมอันเป็นสิริมงคลและก่อบุญนี้ ผู้นั้นก็ย่อมได้ผลเช่นเดียวกัน
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context likely a narrator continuing a dialogue within Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa).
Concept: Grace obtained through auspicious sacred narrative (puṇyākhyāna) frees one from sin; enabling others to hear is itself a high devotional service.
Application: Read/recite Purāṇic/Vaiṣṇava stories regularly; organize satsang, share recordings/texts, sponsor public readings; treat spiritual education as charity.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A public assembly in a temple courtyard where a reciter’s voice flows like a river, and listeners—merchants, farmers, children—sit in concentric circles. Above them, an unseen divine radiance suggests prasāda washing away dark stains of pāpa, turning faces serene and luminous.","primary_figures":["kathā-vācaka (reciter)","mixed community of listeners","temple attendants"],"setting":"Temple courtyard with lamp stands, palm-leaf manuscripts, a small water basin for ācamana","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["deep indigo","lamp-flame amber","ivory","vermillion","emerald green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a richly adorned temple courtyard with tall brass lamps; central reciter with gold-leaf aura, listeners in layered rows; stylized divine light descending like a curtain of gold, crimson and green garments, ornate borders and gem-like highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate satsang scene with delicate facial expressions; soft evening light, cool blues and warm ochres; fine detailing on manuscripts and shawls, lyrical trees beyond the courtyard wall.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, symmetrical grouping of listeners, prominent lamps; reciter with expressive eyes, divine grace indicated by patterned golden rays; red-yellow-green palette with temple-wall texture.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate floral border, central satsang framed by lotus vines; peacocks perched on parapets; deep blue ground with gold motifs, emphasizing communal śravaṇa as sacred celebration."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["temple bells","soft mridangam drone","conch shell (opening)","silence between verses"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: साक्षात्+पापात्→साक्षात्पापात्; पापात्+भवेत्→पापाद्भवेत्; भवेत्+मुक्तः→भवेन्मुक्तः; तत्+प्रसादात्→तत्प्रसादात्; प्रसादात्+तु→प्रसादात्तु; श्रावयेत्+यः→श्रावयेद्यः; यः+तु→यस्तु
FAQs
The verse praises śravaṇa and śrāvaṇa—hearing a sacred, meritorious narrative and causing it to be heard by others through recitation or teaching.
It presents freedom from sin (pāpa-kṣaya) as occurring “directly” (sākṣāt) through “its grace” (tat-prasādāt), emphasizing divine or scriptural efficacy rather than mere ritual mechanics.
Sharing beneficial teachings publicly is treated as a virtuous act: the reciter who spreads the auspicious account contributes to others’ upliftment and participates in the same merit-bearing outcome.