Shloka 96

The Birth of Tāraka and the Prelude to the Deva–Asura War

Topic-based Title

Devanagari script

कल्पकालोद्गतज्वाला पूरितोम्बरगोचरः । हुताशनस्त्वजारूढः शक्तिहस्तो व्यवस्थितः

Transliteration

kalpakālodgatajvālā pūritombaragocaraḥ | hutāśanastvajārūḍhaḥ śaktihasto vyavasthitaḥ

Translation

Lodernd in Flammen, die am Ende eines Kalpa aufsteigen und die ganze Himmelsweite erfüllen, stand Hutāśana, das Feuer, bereit—auf einem Bock reitend und einen Speer in der Hand haltend.

Word by Word

• kalpa-kāla-udgata-jvālāḥ: with flames risen at the time of cosmic dissolution
• kalpa-kāla-udgata-jvālāḥ: Kartā (कर्ता) (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + udgata (कृदन्त) + jvālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa chain compound; Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; bahuvrīhi-like sense “whose flames have risen at the time of dissolution (kalpa-kāla)” but form treated as adjective-subanta agreeing with hutāśanaḥ

• pūrīta-ambara-gocaraḥ: whose sphere reaches the sky filled (with flames)
• pūrīta-ambara-gocaraḥ: Kartā (कर्ता) (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrīta (कृदन्त) + ambara (प्रातिपदिक) + gocara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa compound; Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; pūrīta (पूरित, PPP of √pṝ “to fill”) qualifying gocara “range/realm”: “whose range is the filled sky”

• hutāśanaḥ: Agni (Fire-god)
• hutāśanaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hutāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (name of Agni)

• tu: indeed, but
• tu: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध-बोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय) particle (emphasis/contrast)

• ajā-rūḍhaḥ: mounted on a goat
• ajā-rūḍhaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता) (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ajā (प्रातिपदिक) + rūḍha (कृदन्त)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) “mounted on a goat”; rūḍha (रूढ, PPP of √ruh); Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• śakti-hastaḥ: spear-in-hand
• śakti-hastaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता) (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi (बहुव्रीहि) “one whose hand has a spear”; Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• vyavasthitaḥ: stationed, standing ready
• vyavasthitaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता) (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyavasthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: Kridanta past passive participle: vyavasthita (व्यवस्थित, vi-ava-√sthā); Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

Speaker

Narrator (context not specified in the provided excerpt; verse is descriptive rather than direct speech).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even dissolution is ordered—cosmic powers stand in disciplined readiness within the divine law of time.

Application: Contemplate impermanence to reduce attachment; meet crises with steadiness and duty rather than panic.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At the edge of a collapsing kalpa, the sky is a single furnace—billowing tongues of flame roll like storm-clouds of fire. In the center stands Hutāśana, mounted on a goat, spear raised, his form sharp against the incandescent void as if guarding the boundary between order and dissolution.","primary_figures":["Hutāśana (Agni)","goat (vāhana)"],"setting":"Apocalyptic sky-vault with swirling fire-winds, ash-motes, and distant silhouettes of collapsing worlds","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["molten gold","vermillion red","smoke gray","obsidian black","ember orange"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Hutāśana (Agni) mounted on a goat, holding a spear, centered within a blazing pralaya-sky; heavy gold leaf halos and flame motifs, rich vermillion and emerald accents on ornaments, gem-studded crown, stylized fire-clouds filling the background, crisp South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical yet terrifying pralaya horizon with layered flame-clouds; Agni on a goat with a slender spear, delicate linework, refined facial features, translucent smoke washes, cool gray shadows contrasting ember orange, vast sky gradations suggesting cosmic scale.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; Agni with large expressive eyes, spear in hand, goat vāhana, flame-arches framing the figure, red-yellow-green palette with soot-black background bands, temple-wall compositional clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central fiery deity figure (Agni) on goat with spear, surrounded by ornate flame-lotus borders; deep indigo-black ground with gold and vermillion flame patterns, intricate floral filigree, symmetrical textile-like repetition emphasizing cosmic rhythm."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["roaring fire","conch shell","temple bells","wind gusts","distant thunder"]}

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: kalpakālodgatajvālā → kalpa-kāla-udgata-jvālāḥ; pūritombaragocaraḥ → pūrīta-ambara-gocaraḥ; hutāśanastvajārūḍhaḥ → hutāśanaḥ + tu + ajā-rūḍhaḥ; śaktihasto → śakti-hastaḥ.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Hutāśana)

FAQs

Who is Hutāśana in this verse?

Hutāśana is a common epithet of Agni (Fire), meaning “the eater of oblations,” i.e., the deity who receives offerings in sacrificial rites.

What is the significance of the ‘kalpa-time flames’ described here?

The imagery evokes cosmic-scale fire associated with the end-phase of a kalpa, emphasizing Agni’s overwhelming, world-pervading power in dissolution and transformation.

Why is Agni described as mounted on a goat and holding a spear?

The goat is a traditional vāhana (mount) of Agni in iconography, while the spear (śakti) signifies martial potency and decisive, penetrating energy—fitting for a deity portrayed as standing ready amid cosmic conflagration.