Shloka 50
The Episode of Cyavana
Cyavana’s Hermitage and the Power of Tapas
तत्र स्नात्वा महानद्यां संतर्प्य पितृदेवताः । दानानि ब्राह्मणेभ्यश्च प्रादाद्विष्णुप्रतुष्टये
tatra snātvā mahānadyāṃ saṃtarpya pitṛdevatāḥ | dānāni brāhmaṇebhyaśca prādādviṣṇupratuṣṭaye
وہاں اس عظیم دریا میں اشنان کر کے اور پِتروں کے دیوتاؤں کو ترپت کر کے، اس نے وِشنو کی رضا کے لیے برہمنوں کو دان دیے۔
Narrator (contextual speaker not specified in the provided excerpt)
Concept: Ritual action (snāna, tarpaṇa, dāna) becomes spiritually potent when performed as an offering for Viṣṇu’s satisfaction rather than for mere social merit.
Application: When doing charity or family rites, set a clear devotional intention—offer the fruit to Viṣṇu, keep purity, and give respectfully to worthy recipients.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: river
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At the broad ghāṭa of the Revā, Manu emerges from the river, water streaming from his garments as priests chant softly. He performs pitṛ-tarpaṇa with cupped hands, sesame and water falling in shimmering arcs, then turns to offer generous gifts to Brahmins—cloth, gold, and food—his gaze lifted in inward dedication to Viṣṇu.","primary_figures":["Manu","Brahmin priests","ancestral presence (subtle, ethereal)","Viṣṇu (symbolic presence via śālagrāma/flag/halo)"],"setting":"stone ghāṭa steps on Narmadā, offering trays with tila, darbha grass, water pots, donation bundles, distant temple spire","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["lapis blue","sandstone beige","ghee-lamp gold","white cotton","til-seed black"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Manu at the Narmadā ghāṭa performing tarpaṇa, gold-leaf river highlights, Brahmins receiving dāna with ornate vessels, a small Viṣṇu emblem (śālagrāma on pedestal) radiating a gilded aura, rich crimson-green textiles, embossed gold borders and jewelry details.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate riverside ritual scene with fine linework—cupped hands releasing water and sesame, Brahmins seated with donation cloth, cool river tones, gentle dawn haze, refined facial expressions conveying devotion and restraint.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized ghāṭa and river bands, Manu in warm ochres, priests in white with bold outlines, ritual implements clearly iconified, a circular yellow aura motif indicating Viṣṇu-prīti, decorative temple-wall border patterns.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central river with lotus motifs, Manu and priests arranged symmetrically, ornate floral borders, deep blue background with gold accents, small śālagrāma/Viṣṇu symbol at center-top, intricate textile patterning on donation cloth bundles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing water","low Vedic chanting","temple bells","conch shell at intervals"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सम्+तर्प्य→संतर्प्य (अनुस्वार); ब्राह्मणेभ्यः+च→ब्राह्मणेभ्यश्च; प्रादात्+विष्णुप्रतुष्टये→प्रादाद्विष्णुप्रतुष्टये
FAQs
The verse highlights three linked practices: bathing in a sacred river (snāna), satisfying the ancestors through offerings (pitṛ-tarpaṇa), and giving charity to Brahmins (dāna), all directed toward pleasing Viṣṇu.
It frames pitṛ-tarpaṇa and dāna not merely as social or ritual duties but as actions performed with the devotional intention of pleasing Viṣṇu (viṣṇu-pratuṣṭaye), integrating Vedic rites into a Vaiṣṇava devotional goal.
It teaches that purity (through bathing), gratitude and responsibility toward one’s lineage (through honoring the Pitṛs), and generosity (through dāna) together form an ethical-religious discipline when done with a God-centered intention.