Chapter 84: Brahmā’s Counsel on Tāraka, the Search for Agni, and the Genesis of Skanda
Kārttikeya
सर्वरत्नमयैश्रित्रैरवगाढा द्रुमोत्तमै: । जातरूपमयैश्चान्यैहुताशनसमप्रभै:
sarvaratnamayaiś citrair avagāḍhā drumottamaiḥ | jātarūpamayaiś cānyai hutāśanasamaprabhaiḥ ||
Vyāsa berkata—di perairan sungai-sungai itu tampak banyak pohon unggul, dengan akar-akar mereka terbenam jauh ke dalam arus. Sebagian tampak menakjubkan dan beraneka rupa, seolah seluruhnya tersusun dari segala jenis permata; sebagian terbuat dari emas; dan banyak lainnya bersinar dengan cahaya setara nyala api yang berkobar.
व्यास उवाच
The verse evokes a sacred, otherworldly landscape where nature itself appears transfigured into jewels, gold, and fire-like radiance—suggesting the extraordinary potency of holy realms and the mind’s reverence when encountering them, reinforcing a dharmic sensibility of awe toward sacred places and realities beyond ordinary perception.
Vyāsa is describing a marvelous scene: rivers whose banks (or vicinity) contain extraordinary trees with roots immersed in the waters—some jewel-like and variegated, some golden, and others shining like blazing fire—forming part of a larger visionary or sacred-geographical depiction within the Anuśāsana Parva.