Shloka 93
Puṣkara Mahatmya: Brahmā’s Lotus-Tīrtha, Sacrifice, Initiation, and Kṣetra-Dharma
सकलं निष्कलं चैव देवं पश्यंति योगिनः । तपस्विनस्तु सकलं ज्ञानिनो निष्कलं परम्
sakalaṃ niṣkalaṃ caiva devaṃ paśyaṃti yoginaḥ | tapasvinastu sakalaṃ jñānino niṣkalaṃ param
يرى اليوغيون الإلهَ على وجهين: ذا صفات (سَكَلا) وبلا صفات (نِشْكَلا). أمّا أهل التقشّف فيدركونه ذا صورة وخصال، بينما العارفون بالحق يحقّقون الأسمى منزّهًا عن الصفات.
Unspecified (narrative voice within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa context; exact dialogue speaker not given in the provided excerpt)
Concept: The Divine is apprehended in two complementary modes: sakala (with form/attributes) and niṣkala (attributeless). Different disciplines incline perception toward one or the other, yet both point to the same Supreme.
Application: Honor multiple legitimate spiritual temperaments: worship with form (mūrti, nāma) while cultivating inner detachment and silence; avoid sectarian dismissal of other modes of realization.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A single Supreme Presence appears in two simultaneous layers: in the foreground, a resplendent four-armed Viṣṇu-like form (sakala) with conch and discus; behind and within, an immense, formless field of light (niṣkala) that dissolves edges and names. Yogins sit in meditation, their inner sight depicted as twin streams—one beholding the icon, the other merging into the luminous void.","primary_figures":["The Divine (sakala form)","The Divine (niṣkala radiance)","Yogins","Tapasvins","Jñānins"],"setting":"Meditation grove at the edge of a cosmic ocean; a subtle mandala where form and formlessness overlap.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sapphire blue","radiant white","antique gold","smoky violet","lotus pink"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central sakala deity with ornate crown and gold leaf halo, conch and discus highlighted with embossed gold, behind him a vast niṣkala aureole rendered as layered gold-white gradients; rows of yogins with jeweled borders, rich reds/greens, intricate filigree to show the meeting of form and formless.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate depiction of a blue-hued deity fading into a pale luminous wash, refined yogins seated under slender trees, cool violets and blues, subtle transparency effects to show niṣkala, lyrical clouds and quiet naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines for the sakala deity, niṣkala shown as a large circular white-gold field, yogins in stylized postures, strong red/yellow/green palette with black contouring, temple-wall symmetry emphasizing doctrinal clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central deity framed by lotus motifs, background filled with repeating white-gold dots suggesting the formless infinite, intricate floral borders, deep indigo cloth, gold highlights, meditating figures arranged in rhythmic symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft conch (distant)","silence between verses","gentle wind through leaves"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चैव = च + एव; तपस्विनस्तु = तपस्विनः + तु.
FAQs
Sakala refers to the Divine as manifest—perceived with form, qualities, and attributes—while niṣkala indicates the Divine as unmanifest and attributeless, beyond parts and limiting characteristics.
It presents yogins as capable of perceiving both aspects (manifest and unmanifest). Tapasvins (austerity-focused practitioners) tend toward the manifest aspect, while jñānins (wisdom-focused knowers) realize the supreme as attributeless.
It harmonizes devotional/theistic perception (sakala) with non-dual metaphysical realization (niṣkala), suggesting multiple valid approaches culminating in recognition of the supreme reality.