Shloka 142
Brahmā’s Puṣkara Sacrifice: Ṛtvij System, Sāvitrī’s Reconciliation, Tīrtha-Catalogue, Śrāddha & Initiation Rites, and Vrata Fruits
वेंकटे चान्नदाता च शंभुश्चैव क्रतुस्थले । लंकायां च पुलस्त्योहं काश्मीरे हंसवाहनः
veṃkaṭe cānnadātā ca śaṃbhuścaiva kratusthale | laṃkāyāṃ ca pulastyohaṃ kāśmīre haṃsavāhanaḥ
في ڤينكاṭا أنا أنَّداتا، واهبُ الطعام؛ وفي موضعِ القربان أنا شَمبهو؛ وفي لَنْكا أنا بولاستيا؛ وفي كاشميرا أنا هَمْسَفاهانا، راكبُ البجعة.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (first-person ‘aham’ indicates the speaking deity/authority listing forms across regions).
Concept: One authority can manifest multiple functional identities across contexts—nourisher (annadātā), ritual presider (śambhu at kratu), sage-identity (Pulastya), and pure vehicle-symbol (haṃsavāhana)—teaching adaptability in service of dharma.
Application: Make annadāna (feeding) a regular vow; treat your workplace as a ‘kratu-sthala’ by offering honest effort; honor teachers/lineages (ṛṣi-smaraṇa) and cultivate discernment (haṃsa symbolism: separating milk from water).
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: mountain
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sweeping four-direction tableau: Veṅkaṭa’s sacred hill-temple rises with long queues and a grand annadāna hall where the Lord appears as Annadātā, blessing overflowing vessels of rice. In a luminous yajña-ground, the same presence is Śambhu presiding over fire and mantras; across the sea, Laṅkā’s golden city is overlaid with a serene sage-form of Pulastya; in snow-kissed Kāśmīra, Haṃsavāhana glides over a lotus lake, symbolizing pure discernment.","primary_figures":["Vishnu (as Annadātā/Veṅkaṭeśa-like presence)","Śambhu (as yajña-presider aspect)","Sage Pulastya","Haṃsavāhana (swan-mounted divine form)","Pilgrims","Vedic priests"],"setting":"Tirumala hill-temple and annadāna hall; open-air yajña-vedi; island cityscape of Laṅkā; Kashmir lotus lake with distant mountains.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["temple gold","saffron","granite grey","snow white","lake blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: multi-panel composition—Veṅkaṭa hill shrine with the Lord as Annadātā distributing prasāda, gold leaf dominating the temple vimāna; yajña-sthala with Śambhu aspect beside blazing fire and priests; Laṅkā city with Pulastya as calm rishi in saffron robes; Kāśmīra lotus lake with Haṃsavāhana on a swan, all with ornate gold halos, gem-studded ornaments, rich reds and greens.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Tirumala hill rendered in layered greens with a small but detailed temple; annadāna scene with gentle human expressions; airy yajña-ground with smoke curling; Laṅkā as a distant coastal fort-city; Kashmir as cool blue valley with lotus lake and swan-rider; delicate brushwork, refined faces, atmospheric depth.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic Annadātā figure with overflowing food vessels; yajña panel with fire and ritual gestures; Pulastya as rishi with kamandalu and jata; Haṃsavāhana on swan with lotus lake motifs; bold outlines, natural pigments, temple-wall symmetry, red/yellow/green palette with black contours.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Annadātā on Veṅkaṭa hill framed by lotus borders; surrounding medallions show yajña-sthala with fire, Laṅkā with rishi Pulastya, and Kāśmīra with swan over lotus lake; intricate floral creepers, deep blues and gold, stylized devotees and offerings."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","conch shell","yajña fire crackle","Vedic chanting","mountain wind hush"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चान्नदाता=च+अन्नदाता; शंभुश्चैव=शम्भुः+च+एव; पुलस्त्योहं=पुलस्त्यः+अहम्.
FAQs
It presents a Purāṇic mapping of divine presence to notable regions—Veṅkaṭa, a sacrificial site (kratu-sthala), Laṅkā, and Kāśmīra—implying that different places are sanctified through distinct manifestations or titles.
By asserting that the divine is accessible in multiple locations and forms, it supports a bhakti outlook where devotion can be practiced through pilgrimage, remembrance, and service at locally revered sacred sites.
The epithet “Annadātā” highlights the virtue of providing food and sustaining others; the verse implicitly elevates charity, hospitality, and support of ritual and sacred spaces as spiritually meaningful acts.