Shloka 137
Yoga-Sleep, Cosmic Dissolution, and the Lotus of Creation
with Mārkaṇḍeya’s Vision
तस्यासम्मुखमेकान्ते शुश्रूषुर्हंसमव्ययम् । यदक्षयं विविधमुपाश्रितं तु तन्महार्णवे व्यपगतचंद्रभास्करे
tasyāsammukhamekānte śuśrūṣurhaṃsamavyayam | yadakṣayaṃ vividhamupāśritaṃ tu tanmahārṇave vyapagatacaṃdrabhāskare
En su presencia, en un lugar apartado, le rindieron servicio al imperecedero Haṃsa. Ese estado es inagotable y múltiple, y allí se acoge—en el gran océano—donde no brilla la luz de la luna ni del sol.
Narrator (context not explicit in the provided single verse; likely within the Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue frame typical of Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa)
Concept: The imperishable Haṃsa is served in solitude beyond sensory time; liberation is approached through śuśrūṣā (reverent attendance) and inward withdrawal.
Application: Create ‘ekānta’ daily: a quiet interval for japa/śravaṇa; serve the imperishable through attentive listening to śāstra and guru-vākya.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a cavern of stillness within the great pralaya-ocean, the light of sun and moon is absent; only a cool, self-luminous presence remains. Sages or subtle beings sit in reverent attendance before the imperishable Haṃsa—an ethereal, swan-signified form of the Supreme—whose aura ripples like silent mantras across dark waters.","primary_figures":["Haṃsa (imperishable form of the Supreme)","Attendant sages/paramahaṃsas"],"setting":"A secluded ‘ekānta’ space within the cosmic ocean—dark waters, faint mist, lotus-like energy patterns.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["midnight blue","smoky violet","silver gray","opal white","ink black"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central Haṃsa-form with a radiant gold-leaf aura hovering above stylized dark ocean waves; attendants seated with añjali; ornate arch frame, rich maroon-green borders, embossed gold patterns suggesting timelessness beyond sun and moon.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tranquil dark ocean with delicate ripples; a luminous swan-symbol presence with soft halo; sages in pale garments seated on a tiny island of stillness; cool palette, refined faces, minimalistic celestial darkness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Haṃsa with bold outlines and large expressive eyes (divinized swan-symbol), attendants in traditional poses; layered wave motifs; strong red-yellow-green accents against deep blue-black background.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symmetrical composition with central Haṃsa aura; lotus medallions floating on dark blue; intricate floral borders in gold; small attendant figures in devotional posture; stylized absence of sun/moon shown by empty sky cartouches."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft water resonance","distant bell","long pauses","conch fade-in then silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तस्यासम्मुखम् = तस्य + असम्मुखम्; एकान्ते (no sandhi); शुश्रूषुः हंसम् (visarga before h- often written as शुश्रूषुर्हंसम्); यदक्षयम् = यत् + अक्षयम्; विविधम् उपाश्रितम् = विविधम् + उपाश्रितम्; तन्महार्णवे = तत् + महार्णवे; व्यपगतचंद्रभास्करे = व्यपगत + चन्द्र + भास्करे (compound; anusvāra/orthography normalized).
FAQs
It evokes a supra-cosmic or primordial realm beyond ordinary time and illumination—an archetypal ‘great ocean’ (mahārṇava) used in Purāṇic cosmology to indicate a state prior to, or transcending, the manifest universe.
Haṃsa can denote the swan symbolically, but in Purāṇic and Vedāntic usage it often points to the supreme, imperishable spiritual principle (paramātman) or the realized sage identified with that principle.
The verse highlights disciplined listening, reverent service, and seeking refuge in the imperishable—suggesting that attentive discipleship and inward solitude are means to approach what is ‘akṣaya’ (undecaying).