Shloka 67
Kurukṣetra and Sarasvatī Tīrthas: Pilgrimage Itinerary and the Sanctification of Rāma-hrada
Paraśurāma’s Lakes
उषित्वा रजनीमेकामग्निष्टोमफलं लभेत् । ततो गच्छेत धर्म्मज्ञ ब्रह्मणः स्थानमुत्तमम्
uṣitvā rajanīmekāmagniṣṭomaphalaṃ labhet | tato gaccheta dharmmajña brahmaṇaḥ sthānamuttamam
ایک رات وہاں قیام کرنے سے اگنِشٹوم یَجْن کا ثواب ملتا ہے۔ پھر، اے دھرم کے جاننے والے، انسان برہما کے اعلیٰ دھام کو پہنچتا ہے۔
Unspecified (narratorial instruction within the Svargakhaṇḍa context)
Concept: Tīrtha-vāsa and simple observance can yield the fruit of elaborate Vedic sacrifice, and can elevate the pilgrim toward higher lokas.
Application: Undertake intentional ‘one-night vows’ at sacred places (or symbolic equivalents: temple vigil, japa-night, vrata-night) with purity, restraint, and remembrance; treat time spent in sacred company as transformative.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A lone pilgrim sits in disciplined stillness for a single night beside a sanctified water-edge, a small lamp flickering as constellations wheel overhead. In the sky above, the subtle vision of Brahmā’s radiant loka appears like a lotus-city, suggesting the unseen fruit ripening from simple observance.","primary_figures":["pilgrim (yātrika)","subtle vision of Brahmā (four-faced)","tīrtha-devatā (implied)"],"setting":"remote Himalayan/forest-edge tirtha with a stone ghat, kusa grass, and a modest shrine marker; night-vigil atmosphere","lighting_mood":"moonlit with divine radiance","color_palette":["indigo night","silver moonlight","lamp-flame amber","lotus pink","soft gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a vigilant pilgrim seated on a stone ghat beside a sacred kund, brass oil lamp and conch nearby; above, Brahmā’s lotus-throne city rendered as a golden aureole with ornate arches; heavy gold leaf embellishment on halos and temple motifs, rich vermilion and emerald accents, gem-studded ornaments on the celestial vision, traditional South Indian iconography.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet night at a mountain tirtha, delicate brushwork showing pine silhouettes and a silver kund; the pilgrim wrapped in a shawl, hands in añjali; in the upper sky a translucent lotus-palace of Brahmā; cool blues and greys with lyrical naturalism and refined facial features.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; the pilgrim at the water’s edge with stylized waves; above, Brahmā on a lotus with a broad golden prabhāmaṇḍala; temple-wall aesthetic, characteristic large eyes, dominant reds/yellows/greens with controlled indigo background.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a sacred night-vigil by a lotus-filled kund, ornate floral borders and hanging lamps; celestial lotus motifs forming a mandala that opens into Brahmā’s loka; deep blues and gold, intricate patterns, peacocks perched on border vines, devotional ambience."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","night insects","gentle water lapping","distant conch shell","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: रजनीमेकामग्निष्टोमफलं = रजनीम् + एकाम् + अग्निष्टोमफलम् (म् + ए → मे; म् + अ → मा); स्थानमुत्तमम् = स्थानम् + उत्तमम् (म् + उ → मु)।
FAQs
It states that staying for a single night (in the implied sacred context) yields the merit equal to performing the Agniṣṭoma sacrifice, and leads onward to Brahmā’s supreme abode.
Agniṣṭoma is a major Vedic Soma-sacrifice; invoking its “fruit” functions as a benchmark for very high ritual merit, highlighting the extraordinary efficacy of the prescribed act.
It emphasizes that dharmic conduct and prescribed sacred observances—even simple ones like a single-night stay—are portrayed as powerful means to attain great spiritual merit and higher realms.