Shloka 16
Account of Various Sacred Tīrthas
Pilgrimage Merits and Prayāga Supremacy
श्रीपर्वतं समासाद्य नदीतीरमुपस्पृशेत् । अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति परां सिद्धिं च गच्छति
śrīparvataṃ samāsādya nadītīramupaspṛśet | aśvamedhamavāpnoti parāṃ siddhiṃ ca gacchati
شری پربت تک پہنچ کر اور دریا کے کنارے تطہیری اشنان کرکے، انسان اشومیدھ یگیہ کا پُنّیہ پاتا ہے اور اعلیٰ ترین سدھی کو پہنچتا ہے۔
Unspecified (narratorial/teaching voice within Svarga-khaṇḍa’s tīrtha-māhātmya context)
Concept: External purification at a sacred riverbank, joined with right orientation, can culminate not only in puṇya but in parā siddhi (highest attainment).
Application: Treat sacred acts (bathing, temple visits) as prompts for inner reform—truth, compassion, restraint—so merit matures into spiritual clarity.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: mountain
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Śrīparvata rises like a dark-green crown above the broad Kṛṣṇā river, its cliffs dotted with shrines and fluttering flags. At the riverbank, a devotee performs upaspṛśa—touching the water with mantra—while a luminous path of light ascends from the river to the mountain summit, symbolizing aśvamedha-phala transforming into parā siddhi.","primary_figures":["Pilgrim devotee","River goddess presence (Kṛṣṇā as subtle deity)","Distant temple priests"],"setting":"Kṛṣṇā riverbank below Śrīśaila, stone ghats, distant temple towers, forested hills","lighting_mood":"divine radiance with sunbeams over river mist","color_palette":["deep teal","saffron gold","granite black","river silver","vermillion"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Śrīśaila temple silhouette atop Śrīparvata, Kṛṣṇā river rendered with stylized waves; devotee at ghat in prayer; gold leaf rays linking river to summit; rich reds/greens, ornate borders, gem-like highlights on temple finials.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: sweeping river curve, layered hills, delicate trees; small human figure at ghat; soft atmospheric perspective, cool blues/greens with warm saffron accents; refined, lyrical mood.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, rhythmic river patterns, stylized hill with shrine icons; devotee in traditional posture; warm pigment palette with strong reds/yellows/greens and a radiant aureole motif over the mountain.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central riverbank snāna scene framed by lotus and creeper borders; temple and hill as decorative motifs; peacocks along the border; deep indigo sky with gold star-like dots, emphasizing ‘parā siddhi’ as celestial ascent."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["flowing river","conch shell","temple bells","wind through trees"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नदीतीरमुपस्पृशेत् = नदीतीरम् + उपस्पृशेत्; अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति = अश्वमेधम् + अवाप्नोति
FAQs
It presents tīrtha-visit and riverbank ablution (snāna/upaspṛśa) as a powerful dharmic act capable of conferring great sacrificial merit.
Aśvamedha symbolizes one of the highest Vedic royal sacrifices; the verse uses it as a benchmark to express how extraordinary the fruit of the tīrtha-rite is.
It emphasizes purification and sincere sacred observance—approaching a holy place and performing prescribed rites—as a means toward higher spiritual attainment (parā siddhi).