Shloka 172
The Establishment of Vāmana at Kānyakubja and the Sanctification of Setu
धर्माध्यक्षो विरूपाक्षस्त्रिधर्मो भूतभावनः । त्रिवेदो बहुरूपश्च सूर्यायुतसमप्रभः
dharmādhyakṣo virūpākṣastridharmo bhūtabhāvanaḥ | trivedo bahurūpaśca sūryāyutasamaprabhaḥ
Er ist der Hüter des Dharma, der Weitblickende; die Verkörperung des dreifachen Dharma; der Nährer aller Wesen—die Gestalt der drei Veden selbst, vielgestaltig, strahlend wie zehntausend Sonnen.
Unspecified (context required to confirm the dialogue frame, commonly Pulastya speaking to Bhīṣma in Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa narratives)
Concept: The Supreme oversees dharma, embodies the Vedas, and nourishes beings; divine radiance signifies omniscience and moral governance.
Application: Align choices with dharma as participation in divine order; study/recite sacred texts as communion with the Lord’s Vedic form; cultivate care for beings as worship.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A towering divine figure stands as the living axis of dharma, with three luminous streams—Ṛg, Yajus, Sāman—circling like ribbons of mantra-light around Him. His many forms appear in faint reflections, while a sunburst aura expands outward, bathing all beings in nourishment and order.","primary_figures":["Vishnu (as Dharmādhyakṣa, Veda-svarūpa)","Personified Vedas (optional as three mantra-ribbons)","Beings of the worlds (humans, devas, animals)"],"setting":"Cosmic court without walls—an open expanse of sky and subtle mandalas, with a dharma-wheel motif beneath the deity’s feet.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sun-gold","sapphire blue","white-hot silver","vermillion","deep violet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Vishnu as Dharmādhyakṣa with a massive sunburst halo of gold leaf, three Veda-ribbons inscribed with stylized Sanskrit circling Him, dharma-chakra pedestal, rich reds/greens, gem-studded crown and ornaments, symmetrical composition emphasizing law and splendor.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a refined luminous Vishnu with gentle face, aura like layered suns, three translucent mantra-streams floating around, cool blues and violets balancing warm gold, delicate brushwork, subtle celestial landscape with clouds and distant peaks, lyrical naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Vishnu with bold outlines and large expressive eyes, radiant prabhāmaṇḍala rendered in concentric reds and yellows, three Veda motifs as stylized scrolls, dharma symbols (chakra, conch) simplified, temple-wall aesthetic with flat yet powerful color fields.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Vishnu surrounded by a circular mandala of lotus petals and miniature sun-discs, intricate floral borders, deep indigo ground with gold highlights, small vignettes of beings receiving blessings, mantra-like decorative script patterns integrated into the textile design."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","temple bells","drone of tanpura","soft thunder-like resonance"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धर्माध्यक्षो→धर्माध्यक्षः; विरूपाक्षस्त्रिधर्मो→विरूपाक्षः त्रिधर्मः; त्रिवेदो→त्रिवेदः; बहुरूपश्च→बहुरूपः च; सूर्यायुतसमप्रभः unchanged.
FAQs
The verse presents a cluster of divine titles (dharma-overseer, many-formed, Veda-embodied, sun-like radiance). The specific deity (e.g., Śiva, Viṣṇu, or another cosmic form) cannot be confirmed from this single śloka alone; surrounding verses are needed to identify the referent.
“Triveda” indicates identification with the three Vedas (Ṛg, Yajur, Sāma), expressing the idea that the deity is the source, essence, and highest meaning of Vedic revelation.
Together they convey that cosmic order and moral law (dharma) are supervised and upheld by the divine, and that all beings are sustained by that same principle—encouraging adherence to righteousness as participation in cosmic harmony.