Shloka 136
Pṛthu’s Earth-Milking, the Etymology of ‘Pṛthivī,’ and the Vaivasvata (Solar) Genealogy
निर्मिता येन शावस्ती ह्यंगदेशे नराधिप । शावस्ताद्बृहदश्वो भूत्कुवलाश्वस्ततोभवत्
nirmitā yena śāvastī hyaṃgadeśe narādhipa | śāvastādbṛhadaśvo bhūtkuvalāśvastatobhavat
O König, er war es, der Śrāvastī im Lande Aṅga gründete. Von Śāvasta wurde Bṛhadaśva geboren, und aus ihm ging Kuvalāśva hervor.
Unknown (narrative voice not specified in the provided excerpt; likely within a Purāṇic dialogue addressing a king)
Concept: Dynastic continuity and city-founding are framed as dhārmic acts that stabilize society and enable yajña, dāna, and worship.
Application: Honor lineage and mentors; build institutions that support ethical living (education, charity, worship) rather than mere personal gain.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A newly founded city rises from cleared woodland: ramparts, gateways, and orderly streets laid out by royal architects while sages bless the foundation with water and kusa grass. In the foreground, the king gestures toward the city’s central shrine, signaling that governance and worship are established together.","primary_figures":["a dhārmic king-founder (Śāvasta)","royal architects","Vedic sages","citizens"],"setting":"city foundation site with ceremonial boundary-marking, early temples, and a distant river plain","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["saffron ochre","stone gray","lotus pink","emerald green","gold leaf"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a crowned king-founder consecrating the city of Śrāvastī with sages performing śānti-homa, a small Viṣṇu shrine at the city center, gold leaf embellishment on crowns and temple vimāna, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments, symmetrical South Indian iconographic framing despite North Indian subject.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical city-foundation scene with delicate brushwork, the king and sages on a riverine plain, soft pastel architecture, refined faces, distant trees and birds, cool sky gradients, subtle Himalayan-style landscape layering.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines of the king and sages marking the city boundary with sacred water, flat temple-wall aesthetic, strong red/yellow/green pigments, stylized eyes, decorative floral borders around the nascent city gates.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a symbolic Śrāvastī with lotus motifs and ornate borders, central Viṣṇu shrine emphasized, attendants and cows near the city outskirts, intricate floral patterns, deep indigo background with gold highlights, celebratory foundation-utsava mood."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","soft conch shell","distant city bustle","ritual fire crackle"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ह्यंगदेशे = हि + अङ्गदेशे; शावस्ताद्बृहदश्वो = शावस्तात् + बृहदश्वः; भूत्कुवलाश्वस्ततोभवत् = भूत् + कुवलाश्वः + ततः + अभवत् (ततोऽभवत्)
FAQs
It links a royal founder (Śāvasta) with the establishment of Śrāvastī and situates the account in Aṅga-deśa, reflecting how the Padma Purāṇa weaves dynastic memory together with place-names and regional geography.
In the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa, creation-era narration often expands into catalogues of kings, places, and lineages; this verse exemplifies that encyclopedic mode by recording the founding of a city and succession of descendants.
By preserving founders and succession, the verse reinforces the Purāṇic ideal that righteous rulership includes building stable settlements and maintaining continuity of dharma through orderly lineage and governance.