Shloka 21
Account of Various Sacred Tīrthas
Pilgrimage Merits and Prayāga Supremacy
तत्र तीर्थे समुद्रस्य कन्यातीर्थमुपस्पृशेत् । तत्रोपस्पृश्य राजेंद्र सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
tatra tīrthe samudrasya kanyātīrthamupaspṛśet | tatropaspṛśya rājeṃdra sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate
وہاں سمندر کے اس تیرتھ پر کنیا تیرتھ میں اشنان کرے۔ اے راجاؤں کے راجا! وہاں غسل کرنے سے انسان تمام گناہوں سے رہائی پاتا ہے۔
Unspecified (narrator addressing a king, indicated by 'rājendra')
Concept: Contact with a potent tīrtha, especially oceanic snāna, can dissolve accumulated sin when paired with right intention.
Application: Use pilgrimages as moments of ethical reset: confess faults inwardly, take vows of non-harm and truth, and follow snāna with charity and nāma-japa to stabilize the purification.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At the edge of the roaring ocean, a stone tīrtha-platform meets foaming waves under a vast sky. The pilgrim enters the surf at Kanyā-tīrtha, hands raised in prayer as the horizon glows; unseen divine forces seem to lift a dark veil of sin, leaving the scene calm and luminous after the bath.","primary_figures":["pilgrim devotee","tīrtha-guardian deity (subtle)","ocean personified (Samudra-deva, optional)"],"setting":"sea-shore ghat with carved steps, conch offerings, wind-tossed flags, distant coastal shrine","lighting_mood":"storm-cleared twilight with sacred glow","color_palette":["sea green","foam white","sunset copper","slate blue","sandalwood beige"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Kanyā-tīrtha on a grand coastal ghat; stylized waves with gold highlights; the pilgrim in añjali; a small shrine with lamps; gold leaf on wave crests and halos, rich maroons and greens, ornate borders with conch and lotus motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: expansive seascape with delicate wave lines, soft twilight gradient, the pilgrim at the shoreline; refined minimal architecture, lyrical clouds, gentle gold accents on ritual vessels.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; dramatic stylized ocean with rhythmic curls; the pilgrim and a subtle Samudra-deva figure; warm reds/yellows contrasted with deep blues/greens, temple mural texture.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical ocean-lotus border framing a central shoreline tīrtha; conch motifs, floral garlands, and peacocks near a coastal shrine; deep indigo sea with gold patterning, intricate decorative margins."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["ocean waves","conch shell","temple bells (faint)","wind through flags","brief silence after cadence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कन्यातीर्थम् + उपस्पृशेत् → कन्यातीर्थमुपस्पृशेत्; तत्र + उपस्पृश्य → तत्रोपस्पृश्य; राजेन्द्र इति सम्बोधनपदम्; सर्वपापैः इति समासपदम्।
FAQs
It praises Kanyā-tīrtha, a sacred bathing place associated with the ocean, stating that ritual bathing there grants release from all sins.
The verse recommends upaspṛśa—ritual contact with sacred water, i.e., bathing/ablution at the tīrtha.
It underscores the purifying power of tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) and sacred bathing as a means of moral and spiritual cleansing when performed with reverence.