Shloka 18
Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Dharmatīrtha, Plakṣādevī Sarasvatī, Śākambharī, and Suvarṇa
Kṛṣṇa–Rudra Episode
शाकाहारस्य यत्सम्यग्वर्षैर्द्वादशभिः फलम् । तत्फलं तस्य भवति देव्याश्छंदेन भारत
śākāhārasya yatsamyagvarṣairdvādaśabhiḥ phalam | tatphalaṃ tasya bhavati devyāśchaṃdena bhārata
اے بھارت! بارہ برس تک شاکاہار (سبزی خور) رہنے سے جو نیکی کا پھل ٹھیک طور پر حاصل ہوتا ہے، دیوی کی مرضی کے مطابق چلنے سے وہی پھل اسے نصیب ہوتا ہے۔
Unspecified (context-dependent narrator addressing Bhārata)
Concept: Divinely authorized observance can compress time: obedience and purity can yield the fruit of long austerities.
Application: Choose a sanctioned, sustainable discipline (dietary restraint, charity, japa) and follow it faithfully; consistency and sincerity can outweigh sheer duration.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: temple
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A devotee offers a humble bowl of leafy greens before Śākambharī, and behind him a luminous scale appears: on one side ‘twelve years of śākāhāra’ and on the other the single, divinely sanctioned act—perfectly balanced. The Devī’s gaze conveys that grace can compress time when discipline is sincere.","primary_figures":["Śākambharī Devī","devotee/ascetic","symbolic cosmic scales (allegorical)"],"setting":"Sanctum threshold with offerings of greens, a glowing inscription-like aura illustrating the equivalence of merit.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["radiant gold","emerald green","pearl white","royal blue","vermillion"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Śākambharī enthroned with heavy gold leaf halo; devotee kneeling with a bowl of leafy greens; an allegorical golden balance-scale motif in the background showing ‘12 years’ on one pan and a single offering on the other; rich reds and greens, embossed gold detailing, gem-like ornamentation and traditional iconography.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Subtle allegory—Devī in a pavilion-like shrine, devotee offering greens; a delicate, translucent scale motif floats in the sky with fine calligraphic hints of ‘dvādaśa varṣa’; cool refined palette, lyrical naturalism, and gentle spiritual wonder.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Iconic Devī with bold outlines and large eyes; devotee in disciplined posture; symbolic scale rendered as a stylized yantra-like emblem; natural pigments with strong red/yellow/green, temple-wall symmetry and didactic clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Ornate border of leafy vines and lotuses; central Devī and devotee; the merit-equivalence shown through decorative twin panels—one filled with repeating ‘twelve’ motifs, the other with a single radiant offering; deep blues and gold, intricate floral patterns, devotional textile aesthetic."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell (opening)","temple bells","tanpura drone","soft chorus response (optional)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यत्सम्यग्वर्षैर्द्वादशभिः = यत् + सम्यक् + वर्षैः + द्वादशभिः; तत्फलं = तत् + फलम्; देव्याश्छंदेन = देव्याः + छन्देन (ः + छ → श्छ).
FAQs
It equates the merit of long-term disciplined śākāhāra (vegetarian/greens-based diet) with the merit gained by acting according to the Goddess’s wish—highlighting divine approval as spiritually decisive.
Both: it acknowledges the spiritual fruit of sustained dietary restraint, while emphasizing that alignment with Devī’s will can confer the same result.
“Bhārata” is a traditional honorific for a descendant of Bharata, commonly used to address a listener in epic-purāṇic dialogue (often a Kuru-line figure such as Bhīṣma, Arjuna, or Yudhiṣṭhira depending on context).