Shloka 116
Tīrtha-Māhātmya Sequence: Sacred Fords, Baths, Gifts, and Śrāddha
Narmadā-Belt Itinerary
अनिवर्तिका गतिस्तस्य मृतस्याप्यर्द्धयोजने । त्रैयंबकेण तोयेन स्नापयेन्नरपुंगवः
anivartikā gatistasya mṛtasyāpyarddhayojane | traiyaṃbakeṇa toyena snāpayennarapuṃgavaḥ
Dẫu có người chết trong phạm vi nửa do-tuần quanh thánh địa ấy, lộ trình về cõi sau của người ấy trở nên bất hồi, không thể đảo ngược. Bậc trượng phu ưu tú nên tắm rửa (thân) bằng nước của Tryambaka.
Unspecified (narrative instruction within Svarga-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: Proximity to a powerful tīrtha transforms the destiny of the departed; sacred water functions as a vehicle of grace that stabilizes the soul’s onward journey.
Application: Treat sacred places and their waters with reverence; for end-of-life rites, prioritize purity, prayer, and sanctioned waters/rituals rather than panic—support the dying with mantra, calmness, and dharmic conduct.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A solemn procession reaches the Tryambaka tīrtha: attendants hold a copper kalaśa filled with cool, shimmering water, while a revered elder lies peacefully, garlanded, near the river’s edge. The water is poured in a final bath, and the air feels charged—half grief, half wonder—as if the boundary between worlds has thinned within the sacred radius.","primary_figures":["the departed (or dying) person","a ‘narapuṅgava’ (best of men) performing the rite","priests with darbha and kalaśa","subtle guardian deities of the tīrtha"],"setting":"Godāvarī-source landscape near Trimbakeśvara: stone ghāṭa, forested hills, and a distant temple silhouette","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["pale turquoise","copper bronze","ash white","marigold yellow","deep forest green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Tryambaka tīrtha with a gleaming kalaśa of sacred water, priests in crisp white, the departed on a decorated bier near the ghāṭa, distant temple with gold leaf highlights; ornate borders, rich reds/greens, gold leaf radiance around the water stream and shrine, jewel-like detailing on vessels and ornaments.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tranquil Himalayan-like hill contours adapted to the Sahyadri setting, delicate ripples in the sacred water, tender expressions of mourners, soft dawn gradient sky, refined linework on ritual grass and cloth patterns.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized figures with bold outlines; the sacred water rendered as patterned bands, the temple and hills as decorative panels; strong reds/yellows/greens, ritual gestures emphasized, divine aura around the kalaśa.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central motif of a sacred water stream descending into a lotus-filled kund, ornate floral borders, peacocks and cows at the periphery, śaṅkha-cakra motifs subtly woven into textiles; deep blues with gold accents to suggest transcendent passage."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["flowing water","low conch note","soft weeping hush","mantra chanting","wind through trees"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: गतिस्तस्य = गतिः तस्य; मृतस्यापि = मृतस्य अपि; अर्द्धयोजने (अर्द्ध + योजन) समास; स्नापयेन्नरपुंगवः = स्नापयेत् नरपुंगवः (त् + न् → न्न्)
FAQs
It states that if death occurs within a defined sacred radius (half a yojana), the deceased gains an ‘irreversible’ onward spiritual course—implying assured auspicious progress rather than relapse into lower states.
Tryambaka is a Śiva-associated tīrtha; bathing the body with its water functions as a purificatory funeral rite, marking the deceased with the sanctity and merit of that sacred site.
The verse urges responsible caretaking: an exemplary person should perform proper purification rites for the dead, especially using sanctified water when available, linking devotion with duty (dharma).