Shloka 83
The Destruction of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice
धूम्रोग्राय विरूपाय यज्वने घोररूपिणे । विरूपाक्षाशुभाक्षाय सहस्राक्षाय वै नमः
dhūmrogrāya virūpāya yajvane ghorarūpiṇe | virūpākṣāśubhākṣāya sahasrākṣāya vai namaḥ
Wahrlich Verehrung dem Rauchfarbenen und Furchtbaren, dem Missgestaltigen, dem Opfernden, dem von schrecklicher Gestalt; dem mit verzerrten und unheilvollen Augen und dem Tausendäugigen.
Unspecified (a hymn-like salutation within the narrative context of Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa)
Concept: The divine includes the frightening and the formless; devotion does not demand comfort—reverence can face the terrible as sacred.
Application: Acknowledge the ‘ugra’ realities (death, impermanence, consequences) without denial; let that awareness refine conduct and deepen prayer.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A smoke-wreathed Rudra emerges from a swirling dusk, his form both misshapen and majestic, as if the cosmos cannot fully contain his outline. His eyes appear multiple—some distorted, some all-seeing—suggesting a thousand-eyed vigilance that terrifies ignorance yet protects the sincere.","primary_figures":["Rudra/Śiva (ugra aspect)"],"setting":"Cremation-ground threshold with drifting ash, skeletal trees, and a distant sacrificial fire reduced to smoldering coals; the sky is heavy with smoke and stars.","lighting_mood":"moonlit through smoke, ominous glow","color_palette":["charcoal black","smoke gray","bone white","blood red","cold moon-silver"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Ugra Rudra framed by a heavy gold leaf halo cutting through smoky layers, dramatic eyes emphasized, ash and ember motifs at the base, rich crimson-black contrast, ornate borders and prabhāmaṇḍala, iconographic intensity with gem-like highlights on rudrākṣa.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: A lyrical yet unsettling scene—Rudra half-veiled in smoke under a pale moon, delicate brushwork for ash and mist, restrained reds, refined facial rendering with uncanny eyes, sparse cremation-ground trees, subtle terror conveyed through composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Fierce Rudra with bold outlines and exaggerated eyes, smoke bands as stylized curls, strong red and black accents, ash-white body, temple-wall flatness that heightens symbolic dread, minimal background elements for focus.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Central fierce Rudra surrounded by swirling smoke patterns turned into decorative spirals, border of flame-and-lotus motifs, deep black-blue ground with silver and gold detailing, symmetrical composition that transforms terror into sacred ornament."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["low drum (mridang/damaru)","wind","crackling embers","distant jackal call (very subtle)","sudden silence at line ends"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धूम्रोग्राय = धूम्र-उग्राय; विरूपाक्षाशुभाक्षाय = विरूपाक्ष + अशुभाक्षाय (द्वन्द्व-समास, दीर्घ-सन्धि); सहस्राक्षाय = सहस्र-अक्षाय
FAQs
Purāṇic hymns often include both auspicious and fearsome names to acknowledge the deity’s totality—protector and destroyer—whose terrifying aspects dissolve evil and ignorance.
“Sahasrākṣa” is a traditional epithet meaning all-seeing; depending on context it can indicate a deity like Indra or an all-pervading divine form. Here it functions primarily as an omniscience marker within a salutation.
The verse models reverence even toward the frightening dimensions of reality, teaching surrender (namas) and humility before the divine power that governs both creation and dissolution.