Shloka 28

Qualities of the Five Great Elements; Description of Sudarśana-dvīpa and Mount Meru

Devanagari script

आदित्यतरुणाभासो विधूम इव पावकः । योजनानां सहस्राणि चतुरशीतिरुच्छ्रितः

Transliteration

ādityataruṇābhāso vidhūma iva pāvakaḥ | yojanānāṃ sahasrāṇi caturaśītirucchritaḥ

Translation

それは若き太陽の輝きのように光り、煙なき火のごとく清らかで、八万四千ヨージャナの高さにそびえる。

Word by Word

• आदित्यतरुणाभासः: having the radiance of the young sun
• आदित्यतरुणाभासः: विशेष्य-धर्म (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आदित्य-तरुण-आभास (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः; विशेषण (adjective) to implied subject (e.g., a mountain/fire-like object)

• विधूमः: smokeless
• विधूमः: विशेष्य-धर्म (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-धूम (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-भाव/उपसर्गयुक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) = 'धूमरहित'

• इव: like/as
• इव: उपमान-प्रदर्शक (upamāna marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक अव्यय (comparative particle)

• पावकः: fire
• पावकः: उपमान (Upamāna/standard)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पावक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); उपमान (standard of comparison)

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas
• योजनानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/measure-genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); परिमाण-सम्बन्ध (measure relation)

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: परिमाण (measure/extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom./Acc. 1st/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); संख्यावाचक (numeral noun) used for count

• चतुरशीतिः: eighty-four
• चतुरशीतिः: परिमाण (measure/extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुरशीति (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); संख्यावाचक (numeral) = 84

• उच्छ्रितः: lofty/raised (in height)
• उच्छ्रितः: विशेष्य-धर्म (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्-√श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त) → उच्छ्रित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) = 'raised/elevated'; परिमाणवाचक-विशेषण (height descriptor)

Speaker

Unspecified (narrative description within Svarga-khaṇḍa context)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Purity (nirdhūma—smokeless) and luminosity are marks of the higher order; the mind becomes ‘smokeless’ when freed from rajas/tamas.

Application: Cultivate ‘smokeless fire’ discipline: reduce mental smoke (anger, envy, agitation) through japa, sāttvika diet, and regulated vows; aim for clarity rather than mere intensity.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: mountain

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Meru blazes like a youthful sun, its surface a seamless sheet of gold, as if a smokeless sacrificial fire has become a mountain. The sky around it is washed in amber and pale rose, with thin, translucent cloud-rings that make its height feel immeasurable—eighty-four thousand yojanas suggested by tiny, fading layers of atmosphere.","primary_figures":["Meru (radiant golden mountain)","Surya’s youthful glow (as an aura motif)"],"setting":"Cosmic mountain vista with layered atmospheric bands and subtle celestial geometry","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sun-gold","amber","rose quartz","ivory","deep ultramarine"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Meru rendered as a towering gold-leaf mass with embossed highlights; a Surya-like halo behind it; ornamental cloud bands with gem-like dots; rich crimson and emerald framing, high-contrast divine radiance, traditional symmetry and decorative borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: soft gradients of dawn; Meru as luminous gold with delicate stippling; thin cloud veils; tiny birds/siddhas as scale; refined, poetic naturalism with cool blues balancing warm gold.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: flat golden-yellow Meru with bold outlines; stylized flame motifs indicating ‘smokeless fire’; red and green cloud scrolls; temple mural composition with rhythmic patterning and iconic clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central golden Meru with concentric aureole rings; lotus and flame motifs interwoven; intricate border of floral vines; deep indigo ground with gold detailing, textile-like ornamentation emphasizing radiance."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft conch (single)","gentle temple bell","high-altitude wind hush","silence between phrases"]}

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: आदित्यतरुणाभासो = आदित्यतरुणाभासः; चतुरशीतिरुच्छ्रितः = चतुरशीतिः + उच्छ्रितः

Characters & Entities

• Āditya (Sun)

FAQs

What is being conveyed by the comparison to a smokeless fire?

The simile highlights pure, unobstructed brilliance—radiance that is intense yet free from the “smoke” of impurity or obscuration, a common Purāṇic way to describe divine or celestial luminosity.

What does “eighty-four thousand yojanas” indicate in this verse?

It functions as a Purāṇic cosmological magnitude, expressing vast scale and superhuman dimensions rather than an easily verifiable terrestrial measure; it emphasizes the grandeur of the described being/object.

Does this verse teach an ethical or devotional lesson directly?

Not explicitly; it is primarily descriptive. Indirectly, it invites contemplation of cosmic vastness and divine splendor—themes that often support reverence and humility in Purāṇic literature.