Shloka 165
Karma, Non-Violence, Tīrtha & Gaṅgā Merit, Vaiṣṇava Protection, Śālagrāma Worship, and Ekādaśī as Deliverance
उपोष्येह त्रिरात्राणि कृत्वा वा तीर्थमज्जनम् । दत्वा हेमतिलान्गाश्च स्वर्गं यांतीह मानवाः
upoṣyeha trirātrāṇi kṛtvā vā tīrthamajjanam | datvā hematilāngāśca svargaṃ yāṃtīha mānavāḥ
ด้วยการถืออุโบสถที่นี่สามราตรี หรือประกอบสรงน้ำศักดิ์สิทธิ์ ณ ตีรถะ และถวายทานเช่นทองคำและงาเป็นต้น มนุษย์ย่อมได้ไปสวรรค์จากที่นี่เอง
Not explicitly specified in the provided excerpt (context-dependent within Svarga-khaṇḍa dialogues).
Concept: A compact triad of merit-making—fasting, sacred bathing, and charity—quickly elevates one to heaven.
Application: When visiting sacred places, combine snāna with a short vow (three nights of restraint) and meaningful giving (food, sesame, or resources) rather than tourism alone.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Pilgrims arrive at a sacred ford where steps descend into shimmering water; some observe a three-night vow in a simple riverside shelter, while others perform snāna and then offer gold and sesame to a waiting priest and the poor. Above, a translucent celestial pathway opens toward Svarga, suggesting the immediate fruit promised by the verse.","primary_figures":["pilgrims (men and women)","priest/ācārya","poor recipients","celestial beings (gandharvas/apsarases, subtle)"],"setting":"A tīrtha-ghāṭa with stone steps, banyan and aśvattha trees, small shrine, donation pavilion, and ritual fires in the distance.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["river jade green","sunrise saffron","stone gray","marigold yellow","burnished gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: grand tīrtha-ghāṭa scene with pilgrims performing snāna, priests receiving tila and hiraṇya dāna, and a small Viṣṇu shrine on the bank; heavy gold leaf for the sunrise and celestial stairway to Svarga, rich reds/greens in garments, ornate borders and temple architecture details.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate riverside panorama with fine ripples, pilgrims in soft pastel garments, a quiet hut indicating tri-rātra vrata, and faint apsarases in the sky; cool blues and greens balanced with warm saffron dawn, refined facial features and lyrical naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized ghāṭa with bold outlines; figures in rhythmic poses—snāna, dāna, and vow-keeping—set against a warm ochre background; decorative lotus and creeper motifs, traditional mural palette emphasizing sacred action.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate border of lotuses and sesame blossoms; central river-ghāṭa with devotees bathing and offering dāna before a Viṣṇu emblem, peacocks perched on steps, deep blue water with gold highlights, symmetrical devotional composition."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["flowing water","morning birds","temple bells","soft conch shell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: उपोष्येह → उपोष्य + इह; हेमतिलान्गाश्च → हेमतिलान् + गाः + च; यांतीह → यान्ति + इह.
FAQs
The verse lists three meritorious acts: a three-night fast, bathing at a sacred tīrtha, and giving gifts—especially gold, sesame, and cows—as means that lead a person to heaven.
In Purāṇic ethics, tīrtha-snānā is a purificatory act, while dāna is a socially beneficial act that expresses generosity and detachment; together they represent inner purification and outward righteousness.
It teaches that disciplined self-restraint (fasting), reverence for sacred places (tīrtha), and generosity (dāna) are concrete, accessible pathways of dharma that yield auspicious results.