Shloka 93
Tīrtha-Māhātmya Sequence: Sacred Fords, Baths, Gifts, and Śrāddha
Narmadā-Belt Itinerary
स्नातमात्रो नरस्तत्र गोसहस्र फलं लभेत् । सोमतीर्थं ततो गच्छेत्स्नानमात्रं समाचरेत्
snātamātro narastatra gosahasra phalaṃ labhet | somatīrthaṃ tato gacchetsnānamātraṃ samācaret
وہاں صرف غسل کر لینے سے آدمی کو ہزار گایوں کے دان کے برابر ثواب ملتا ہے۔ پھر اسے سوم تیرتھ جانا چاہیے اور وہاں بھی محض غسل ہی کرے۔
Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within the Svarga-khaṇḍa tīrtha-māhātmya context)
Concept: Contact with sanctified waters can compress spiritual effort: a single bath equals vast charity; pilgrimage is structured as sequential purification.
Application: When visiting sacred places, bathe or symbolically cleanse with reverence, then continue a disciplined itinerary (prayer, charity, restraint) rather than treating pilgrimage as tourism.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At the stone steps of Śakra-tīrtha, a pilgrim cups Sarayu water and pours it over the head, while priests chant and the river glitters like molten silver. In the distance, a path lined with flowering trees leads onward to Soma-tīrtha, marked by a moon-emblem shrine, suggesting a pilgrimage as a garland of purifying baths.","primary_figures":["pilgrim devotee","riverbank priest","Soma (symbolic moon-emblem)"],"setting":"Ayodhyā ghāṭa with carved steps, banyan shade, small shrines; a visible onward route to another ford/kuṇḍa.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["river-silver","lapis blue","moon-white","saffron","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Grand ghāṭa snāna at Śakra-tīrtha with gold-leaf highlights on water ripples and shrine arches; priests in rich textiles; a secondary vignette showing Soma-tīrtha with a moon-disc emblem; ornate borders, jewel-toned reds/greens, embossed gold for sacred water sparkle.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Gentle river scene with delicate figures bathing, transparent washes for water, cool blues and moon-whites; a winding path to Soma-tīrtha under flowering trees; refined architecture and lyrical atmosphere, minimal but expressive gestures of reverence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Stylized ghāṭa and river with bold outlines; central figure performing snāna; Soma-tīrtha indicated by a prominent crescent/moon medallion shrine; warm ochre and green with contrasting indigo water, temple-wall compositional clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Deep blue river with gold wave patterns, lotus clusters along the ghāṭa; central snāna scene framed by intricate floral borders; a moon-emblem panel for Soma-tīrtha; peacocks and cows as auspicious motifs subtly referencing go-dāna equivalence."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"celebratory","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["flowing water","conch shell","temple bells","chanting chorus"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नरस्तत्र = नरः + तत्र; गच्छेत्स्नानमात्रम् = गच्छेत् + स्नानमात्रम्.
FAQs
It states that simply bathing at the mentioned sacred place yields merit equivalent to the great gift of a thousand cows, highlighting tīrtha-snānā as a powerful purifier and merit-producing act.
Soma-tīrtha is a named sacred ford or pilgrimage bathing place associated with Soma (the lunar deity/nectar principle). The verse instructs the pilgrim to proceed there next and perform a bath.
The verse emphasizes accessible piety: even a simple act done with reverence—like bathing at a sacred site—can be spiritually significant, encouraging disciplined pilgrimage and sincere observance rather than elaborate ritual alone.