Shloka 95
Tīrtha-Māhātmya Sequence: Sacred Fords, Baths, Gifts, and Śrāddha
Narmadā-Belt Itinerary
त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतं राजन्सोमतीर्थं महाफलम् । यस्तु चांद्रायणं कुर्यात्तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नराधिप
trailokyaviśrutaṃ rājansomatīrthaṃ mahāphalam | yastu cāṃdrāyaṇaṃ kuryāttasmiṃstīrthe narādhipa
ข้าแต่พระราชา โสมทิรถะเลื่องลือไปทั่วไตรโลกและให้ผลบุญยิ่งใหญ่ โอ้ผู้ปกครองมนุษย์ ผู้ใดประกอบพรตจันทรายณะ ณ ทิรถะนั้น ย่อมได้ผลธรรมอันไพศาล
Unspecified (narrator addressing a king as 'rājan/narādhipa')
Concept: Vrata performed at a potent tīrtha multiplies merit; disciplined regulation of intake (Cāndrāyaṇa) purifies and elevates the practitioner.
Application: Adopt measured self-restraint (food, speech, habits) and pair it with periodic pilgrimage/temple-visits; even small austerities become transformative when done with sankalpa and purity.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A royal pilgrim-king stands at the luminous Soma-tīrtha, where the riverbank glows with moon-silver reflections even at dawn. Ascetics mark a lunar calendar on palm leaves while offering water and white flowers, and the air feels cool, fragrant, and ritually charged.","primary_figures":["pilgrim-king (rājan)","tīrtha-priest","Cāndrāyaṇa-vrata ascetic","Soma-deva (subtle celestial presence)"],"setting":"Sacred ford with stone ghats, a small shrine to Soma, banyan and bilva trees, and a calm river eddy used for snāna and arghya.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["moonstone white","pale silver","deep indigo","river jade","saffron lamp-glow"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Soma-tīrtha ghat with a small Soma shrine, the king receiving vrata-instructions from a priest, ascetics holding lunar tally-leaves; heavy gold leaf on shrine arch and ornaments, rich crimson and emerald textiles, pearl-like highlights suggesting moonlight, traditional South Indian iconography with ornate borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: cool moonlit riverbank at Soma-tīrtha, delicate figures of king and sages, soft mist over water, slender trees and distant hills; refined faces, lyrical naturalism, indigo-silver palette, fine brushwork for ripples and prayer-threads.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized Soma shrine and ghat, bold black outlines, flat yet vibrant fields of color; the king in regal posture, priest with kamandalu, crescent-moon motifs above; red/yellow/green pigments with white highlights for lunar sheen.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Soma-tīrtha as a lotus-ringed waterbody with crescent motifs, floral borders, white lotuses and peacocks; devotional procession of pilgrims with lamps; deep blues and gold accents, intricate patterns emphasizing sacred water and vrata symbolism."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["flowing water","soft temple bells","conch shell","night insects fading into dawn"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: राजन्सोमतीर्थम् = राजन् + सोमतीर्थम्; यस्तु = यः + तु; चांद्रायणम् = च + आन्द्रायणम् (orthographic: चान्द्रायणम्); कुर्यात्तस्मिन् = कुर्यात् + तस्मिन्; तस्मिंस्तीर्थे = तस्मिन् + तीर्थे.
FAQs
It describes Somatīrtha as “renowned in the three worlds” (trailokyaviśruta) and as a place that yields “great fruit” (mahāphala), marking it as an exceptionally meritorious tīrtha.
Cāndrāyaṇa is a lunar-regulated vow/penance in which food intake is adjusted according to the waxing and waning of the moon; the verse highlights that performing it specifically at Somatīrtha amplifies its spiritual merit.
The verse underscores disciplined self-restraint (vrata/penance) and the Purāṇic principle that sincere practice, when aligned with sacred contexts (tīrthas), is considered especially transformative and merit-producing.