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
اے راجن! سوم تیرتھ تینوں لوکوں میں مشہور اور عظیم پھل دینے والا ہے۔ اے انسانوں کے حاکم! جو کوئی اس تیرتھ میں چاندریائن ورت کرے، وہ بڑا روحانی ثمر پاتا ہے۔
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.