Shloka 188
Rudra’s Removal of Brahmahatyā; Kapālamocana and Avimukta Māhātmya; Origins of Nara and Karṇa
link to Arjuna/Karna query
ते मृता हंसयानेन दिवं यांत्यकुतोभयाः । पंचक्रोशप्रमाणेन क्षेत्रं दत्तं मया तव
te mṛtā haṃsayānena divaṃ yāṃtyakutobhayāḥ | paṃcakrośapramāṇena kṣetraṃ dattaṃ mayā tava
সেখানে মৃত্যুবরণ করে তারা হংসযানে আরূঢ় হয়ে, সর্বদিকের ভয় থেকে মুক্ত হয়ে, স্বর্গে গমন করে। পাঁচ ক্রোশ পরিমিত এই ক্ষেত্র আমি তোমাকে দান করেছি।
Unspecified (context-dependent narrator/speaker in Adhyaya 14)
Concept: Death in a supremely sanctified kṣetra, supported by lifelong devotion/service, yields fearlessness and exalted post-mortem ascent; sacred geography can reframe the end of life as a spiritual passage.
Application: Live so that death is not a terror: cultivate daily remembrance, ethical clarity, and periodic pilgrimage; keep a ‘pañcakrośī’ discipline—regular spiritual circuit (japa, seva, satsanga) that encircles and protects life.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene soul departs within the sacred five-krośa domain as lamps flicker on the ghats and the sky opens into a luminous corridor. A radiant haṃsa-vimāna descends like a pearl-white cloud, lifting the departed upward while protective light forms a circle around the kṣetra, signaling ‘akutobhaya’—fearlessness in every direction.","primary_figures":["departing soul (subtle)","haṃsa-vimāna (swan-borne celestial car)","celestial attendants","pilgrims and priests performing last rites with lamps"],"setting":"Pañcakrośī sacred domain suggested by a circular pilgrimage path motif; ghats, shrines, and a sky-road of light above.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["pearl white","midnight blue","lamp-gold","ash gray","lotus pink"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central haṃsa-vimāna with embossed gold leaf highlights, celestial attendants with jeweled ornaments, below them ornate ghats with rows of lamps, a circular pañcakrośī border motif around the city rendered in gold, rich crimson and emerald accents, divine radiance filling the upper half.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: poetic night scene with moonlit ghats, delicate lamp reflections, a swan-borne chariot descending in soft whites and pale gold, gentle upward movement of the soul as a translucent figure, cool blues and silvers, refined architecture and quiet reverence.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized haṃsa-vimāna with bold outlines, strong contrast of deep blue sky and warm lamp bands, circular kṣetra boundary shown as a decorative ring, celestial figures with characteristic eyes, natural pigment palette and temple-wall symmetry.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: deep indigo cloth ground, central white haṃsa-vimāna surrounded by lotus clusters, ornate golden border forming a circular pilgrimage circuit, rows of lamps and floral garlands, peacocks at the margins, intricate detailing emphasizing auspicious passage and fearlessness."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["conch shell","temple bells","soft funeral mantra hum","river water","night insects"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यांत्यकुतोभयाः = यान्ति + अकुतोभयाः (इ/अ संधि); पंचक्रोशप्रमाणेन = पञ्च + क्रोश + प्रमाणेन (समास); दत्तं मया = दत्तम् + मया (म् + म्)।
FAQs
It frames holiness in measurable space: a kṣetra defined as five krośas, suggesting that sacred power is mapped onto a specific, bounded landscape (kṣetra-mahātmya style).
By presenting the kṣetra as a divinely granted refuge whose association removes fear and leads to heavenly ascent, it promotes devotional trust in sacred places and divine grace rather than mere material security.
It implies that honoring and preserving divinely sanctioned sacred spaces—and approaching them with faith—yields protection (fearlessness) and auspicious destiny, encouraging reverence and responsible stewardship.