Shloka 18
The Episode of Vena: Purification, the ‘Vāsudevābhidhā’ Hymn, and the Dharma of Charity
Times, Tīrthas, Worthy Recipients
संकर्षति प्रजाश्चांते ह्यव्यक्ताय यतो विभुः । ततः संकर्षणो नाम्ना विज्ञेयः शरणागतैः
saṃkarṣati prajāścāṃte hyavyaktāya yato vibhuḥ | tataḥ saṃkarṣaṇo nāmnā vijñeyaḥ śaraṇāgataiḥ
لأن الربّ الكلّيّ النفاذ يجذب جميع الكائنات عند نهاية الزمان ويعيدها إلى غير المتجلّي، فلذلك ينبغي للملتجئين أن يعرفوه باسم «سنكرشنه».
Unspecified (narrative voice not provided in the excerpt)
Concept: At the end of time the Lord draws all beings back into the Unmanifest; thus He is Saṅkarṣaṇa, the gatherer-withdrawer, known by those who take refuge.
Application: Contemplate impermanence to loosen attachment; practice śaraṇāgati (refuge) through daily prayer, surrender of outcomes, and ethical living aligned with dharma.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A grand pralaya tableau: worlds fold inward like petals closing, oceans rise, stars dim, and streams of beings—subtle lights—are gently drawn toward a vast, tranquil darkness labeled ‘Avyakta’. At the center stands Saṅkarṣaṇa, serene and immense, drawing all into Himself not with violence but with irresistible cosmic gravity, while a few devotees cling to His feet in śaraṇāgati.","primary_figures":["Saṅkarṣaṇa","refuge-seeking devotees","cosmic beings as light-forms"],"setting":"Cosmic dissolution scene with collapsing lokas, swirling waters, and a central stillness representing the Unmanifest.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["midnight indigo","smoky violet","silver","ashen gray","pale gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Saṅkarṣaṇa central, towering with gold-leaf halo and ornate crown; surrounding lokas depicted as concentric rings being drawn inward; devotees at His feet; dramatic gold highlights against deep indigo, embossed gold waves and celestial motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate swirling clouds and waters, lokas as faint layered horizons; Saṅkarṣaṇa calm, refined features, subtle aura; cool nocturnal palette with silver accents, lyrical sense of cosmic motion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized pralaya waters and serpentine motifs; Saṅkarṣaṇa with strong frontal iconography, large expressive eyes; dense patterning, red-yellow-green with deep blue background.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: circular mandala of dissolving worlds drawn toward a central lotus-darkness; Saṅkarṣaṇa as the axis; ornate floral borders, gold detailing on indigo cloth, rhythmic repetition of wave and lotus motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["distant conch shell","low drum pulse","wind-like hush","occasional temple bell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रजाश्चांते = प्रजाः + च + अन्ते; ह्यव्यक्ताय = हि + अव्यक्ताय.
FAQs
Saṅkarṣaṇa is a divine designation of the Lord emphasizing His cosmic function of withdrawal: at the end of a cycle He draws all beings back into the Unmanifest (avyakta).
Avyakta refers to the unmanifest state of nature/existence into which names and forms dissolve at pralaya; the verse describes reabsorption of creation into that unmanifest condition.
The verse frames this cosmological truth as a point of refuge-based devotion: those who surrender are urged to recognize the Lord’s name and nature correctly, trusting His supreme control over creation and dissolution.