Shloka 147
Viśokā Dvādaśī Vow, Guḍa-Dhenū (Jaggery-Cow) Gift, and Śaila-Dāna (Mountain-Charity) Rites
विष्कंभशैलांस्तद्वच्च ऋत्विग्भ्यः प्रतिपादयेत् । नमस्ते सर्वबीजाय ब्रह्मगर्भाय वै नमः
viṣkaṃbhaśailāṃstadvacca ṛtvigbhyaḥ pratipādayet | namaste sarvabījāya brahmagarbhāya vai namaḥ
Likewise, he should present the Viṣkambha mountains to the officiating priests. Salutations to you, the source of all seeds; salutations indeed to the One who bears Brahmā within.
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses; commonly a narrator/teacher voice within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa dialogues).
Concept: Ritual gifting mirrors cosmic order: offering vast symbolic supports (mountains) and praising the seed-source and Brahmā-bearing Lord aligns the sacrificer with creation’s foundation.
Application: Treat offerings (money, food, skills) as sustaining ‘supports’ for society; pair giving with remembrance of the divine source rather than ego.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vast ritual vision: priests stand before a shimmering altar while miniature cosmic mountains—Viṣkambha-like supports—are offered as jeweled models. Above them, Nārāyaṇa radiates with a lotus from His navel holding Brahmā, while the mantra ‘namas te sarva-bījāya’ seems to ripple through space like golden script.","primary_figures":["Nārāyaṇa (Viṣṇu)","Brahmā on the lotus","ṛtvij priests","a yajamāna (sacrificer)"],"setting":"cosmic yajña-space blending a sacrificial hall with a starry firmament; symbolic mountain models on offering trays","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sapphire blue","gold leaf","lotus pink","pearl white","amethyst purple"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Nārāyaṇa enthroned with lotus-navel Brahmā, foreground priests receiving jeweled ‘mountain’ offerings; heavy gold leaf halos, ornate crowns, rich crimson and emerald textiles, gem-studded trays shaped like mountains, symmetrical temple-arch framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: ethereal cosmic-yajña scene with delicate lines, soft gradients, refined faces of priests, tiny mountain models rendered like Himalayan peaks, cool blues and lilacs, lotus-navel motif subtle yet luminous.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines of Viṣṇu with lotus-navel Brahmā, stylized priests and mountain offerings, strong red/yellow/green palette, temple-wall grandeur, rhythmic decorative clouds and stars.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Nārāyaṇa with lotus motifs and floral borders, mountain offerings arranged like a mandala, intricate gold patterns, deep indigo background, peacocks and lotuses framing the cosmic seed-source theme."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["conch shell","deep temple bell","Vedic chant undertone","resonant silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विष्कंभशैलांस्तद्वच्च = विष्कम्भशैलान् तद्वत् च; ऋत्विग्भ्यः (ऋत्विज् + भ्यस्); नमस्ते = नमः ते;
FAQs
It links yajña-related giving (dāna to ṛtvij priests) with devotional praise (stuti), presenting offerings as part of a sanctified ritual economy.
These are honorific epithets for a supreme creative principle or deity regarded as the origin of all beings ('source of all seeds') and as the one from whom Brahmā arises ('bearing Brahmā within').
The verse underscores reciprocity and gratitude in sacred rites: those who sustain ritual knowledge and performance are to be honored through proper, respectful giving.