Shloka 95
Tīrtha-Māhātmya of the Sarasvatī Region and the Praise of Kurukṣetra
Pilgrimage Merits
अप्येकां वाचमुत्मृज्य स्वर्गलोके महीयते । ब्रह्मवेद्यां कुरुक्षेत्रं पुण्यं ब्रह्मर्षिसेवितम्
apyekāṃ vācamutmṛjya svargaloke mahīyate | brahmavedyāṃ kurukṣetraṃ puṇyaṃ brahmarṣisevitam
แม้เพียงเปล่งวาจาหนึ่งคำสรรเสริญ ก็ย่อมได้รับเกียรติในสวรรค์โลก กุรุเกษตรเป็นทุ่งอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ยิ่ง รู้แจ้งแก่พระพรหม และเป็นที่บำเพ็ญสักการะของพรหมฤๅษีทั้งหลาย
Unspecified (narrative voice within the Svarga-khaṇḍa dialogue context)
Concept: Even minimal glorification (stuti) of a true tīrtha generates spiritual merit and heavenly honor; sacred geography amplifies dharma.
Application: Keep a daily practice of naming and praising sacred places/deities (even one sincere sentence), and let that remembrance shape ethical choices (dharma) in ordinary life.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vast sacred plain of Kurukṣetra unfolds like a living altar, its soil shimmering with subtle mantra-light. A lone pilgrim raises folded hands, uttering a single word of praise, while luminous brahmarṣis in the distance tend fire-altars and recite Veda, making the very air feel like svarga.","primary_figures":["Pilgrim devotee","Brahmarṣis (Vedic seers)","Subtle presence of Viṣṇu as divine radiance"],"setting":"Open kṣetra (sacred field) with yajña-vedis, kusa grass, distant tīrtha pools, and a horizon of gentle dust-gold plains","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["saffron gold","lotus pink","ash-white","sandalwood beige","deep indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Kurukṣetra as a sanctified altar-field with miniature yajña-vedis, brahmarṣis in white garments chanting, a devotee offering añjali while a halo-like Viṣṇu-radiance descends from above; heavy gold leaf for the ‘svarga-honor’ aura, rich crimson and emerald borders, gem-studded ornaments on ritual vessels, traditional South Indian iconographic detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical panoramic Kurukṣetra plain with delicate linework, soft ochres and cool indigos; seers seated near small fire-altars, a pilgrim speaking a single word of praise; refined faces, gentle wind-swept grasses, distant water glinting like a tīrtha, poetic atmosphere.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; Kurukṣetra rendered as a sacred vedi with stylized fire-altars, brahmarṣis with characteristic large eyes, and an abstract Viṣṇu-tejas mandala above; dominant reds, yellows, greens with rhythmic ornamental borders like temple walls.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Kurukṣetra transformed into a lotus-patterned sacred field; central glowing mandala suggesting Viṣṇu’s grace, surrounding floral borders, peacocks and sacred cows at the margins, tiny seers near ritual fires; deep blues and gold with intricate motifs, Nathdwara-inspired ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","distant Vedic chanting","gentle wind over grass","conch shell (faint)","ritual fire crackle"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अपि+एकाम्→अप्येकाम्; वाचम्+उत्मृज्य→वाचमुत्मृज्य
FAQs
It presents Kurukṣetra as a preeminent sacred landscape (kṣetra) whose sanctity is validated by Vedic/spiritual authority (“brahma-vedyā”) and by the presence and practice of great seers (Brahmarṣis).
It suggests that even minimal engagement—merely speaking a single word in praise—can yield heavenly honor, highlighting the potency of remembrance and reverent speech toward sacred places.
It encourages mindful speech and reverence: valuing holy places and traditions, and recognizing that sincere, even small, acts of respect can have significant spiritual consequences.