Shloka 60
Episode of King Vena: Deceptive Doctrine, Compassion, and the Contest over Dharma
एको जिनः सर्वमयो नृपेंद्र नास्त्येव धर्मं परमं हि तीर्थम् । अयं तु लाभः परमस्तु तस्माद्ध्य्यास्व नित्यं सुसुखो भविष्यसि
eko jinaḥ sarvamayo nṛpeṃdra nāstyeva dharmaṃ paramaṃ hi tīrtham | ayaṃ tu lābhaḥ paramastu tasmāddhyyāsva nityaṃ susukho bhaviṣyasi
Hỡi bậc quân vương! Chỉ riêng Jina là đấng bao trùm muôn loài, là cội nguồn của tất cả. Không có pháp tối thượng nào cao hơn tīrtha. Vì đây là lợi ích tối thắng, hãy hằng luôn quán niệm Ngài; ngài sẽ được an lạc chân thật.
Unspecified (a teacher/sage addressing a king, indicated by 'nṛpendra')
Concept: Tīrtha-sevā and constant meditation on the supreme principle bring lasting sukha.
Application: Undertake periodic pilgrimage with ethical conduct; in daily life, keep a fixed practice of nāma-smaraṇa/meditation and treat holy places (and holy time) as catalysts for reform.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage-teacher seated on a kusa-grass mat instructs a crowned king beside a serene river-ford. In the background, pilgrims perform snāna and offer lamps, while a distant Viṣṇu shrine glows—suggesting that meditation and tīrtha converge into one path of peace.","primary_figures":["sage-teacher","king (nṛpendra)","pilgrims","Vishnu (as distant temple icon or subtle divine presence)"],"setting":"Riverbank tīrtha with stone steps (ghāṭa), small Viṣṇu temple, banyan and aśvattha trees, offerings of flowers and lamps","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["saffron","river-jade green","lotus pink","sapphire blue","gold leaf"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a regal king with jeweled crown listens to a serene rishi at a river-ghat tīrtha; a small Viṣṇu sanctum with arch and prabhāmaṇḍala in the background, gold leaf halos, rich crimson and emerald textiles, gem-studded ornaments, stylized lotus borders, sacred lamps and conch motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical river-ford with delicate ripples, soft dawn sky, the king and rishi in refined profiles under a spreading banyan; distant temple spire, pilgrims bathing, cool yet luminous palette, fine brushwork on garments and foliage, gentle Himalayan-like atmospheric depth.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; rishi and king in frontal three-quarter poses, expressive eyes, river-ghat and temple lamp motifs, Viṣṇu icon hinted with blue complexion and golden ornaments, dominant reds/yellows/greens with rhythmic floral borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: tīrtha scene framed by intricate lotus and creeper borders; central dialogue of rishi and king, background Viṣṇu shrine with deep blue sanctum, rows of lamps, stylized river with lotuses, peacocks on the margins, gold detailing and Nathdwara-like ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing water","temple bells","soft conch shell","morning birds","brief contemplative silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नास्त्येव = नास्ति + एव; तस्माद्ध्य्यास्व = तस्मात् + ध्यास्व (द् + ध् → द्ध); नृपेṃdra = नृपेन्द्र (anusvāra/diacritic variation in IAST)
FAQs
It states that there is no higher dharma than tīrtha—understood as a sacred ford or pilgrimage-place, i.e., a spiritually transformative means of crossing over worldly bondage.
Jina literally means “Conqueror” (one who has conquered passions). In this verse it functions as a supreme spiritual ideal to be meditated upon; the exact sectarian identification is not explicit in the given line.
The king is instructed to meditate constantly (dhyāsva nityam) on the Jina, described as the supreme gain, as the means to attain enduring happiness.