Shloka 142
Brahmā’s Puṣkara Sacrifice: Ṛtvij System, Sāvitrī’s Reconciliation, Tīrtha-Catalogue, Śrāddha & Initiation Rites, and Vrata Fruits
वेंकटे चान्नदाता च शंभुश्चैव क्रतुस्थले । लंकायां च पुलस्त्योहं काश्मीरे हंसवाहनः
veṃkaṭe cānnadātā ca śaṃbhuścaiva kratusthale | laṃkāyāṃ ca pulastyohaṃ kāśmīre haṃsavāhanaḥ
വെങ്കടത്തിൽ ഞാൻ അന്നദാതാവ്; യജ്ഞസ്ഥലത്തിൽ ശംഭു; ലങ്കയിൽ പുലസ്ത്യൻ; കാശ്മീരിൽ ഹംസവാഹനൻ എന്നായി ഞാൻ പ്രസിദ്ധൻ।
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (first-person ‘aham’ indicates the speaking deity/authority listing forms across regions).
Concept: One authority can manifest multiple functional identities across contexts—nourisher (annadātā), ritual presider (śambhu at kratu), sage-identity (Pulastya), and pure vehicle-symbol (haṃsavāhana)—teaching adaptability in service of dharma.
Application: Make annadāna (feeding) a regular vow; treat your workplace as a ‘kratu-sthala’ by offering honest effort; honor teachers/lineages (ṛṣi-smaraṇa) and cultivate discernment (haṃsa symbolism: separating milk from water).
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Type: mountain
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sweeping four-direction tableau: Veṅkaṭa’s sacred hill-temple rises with long queues and a grand annadāna hall where the Lord appears as Annadātā, blessing overflowing vessels of rice. In a luminous yajña-ground, the same presence is Śambhu presiding over fire and mantras; across the sea, Laṅkā’s golden city is overlaid with a serene sage-form of Pulastya; in snow-kissed Kāśmīra, Haṃsavāhana glides over a lotus lake, symbolizing pure discernment.","primary_figures":["Vishnu (as Annadātā/Veṅkaṭeśa-like presence)","Śambhu (as yajña-presider aspect)","Sage Pulastya","Haṃsavāhana (swan-mounted divine form)","Pilgrims","Vedic priests"],"setting":"Tirumala hill-temple and annadāna hall; open-air yajña-vedi; island cityscape of Laṅkā; Kashmir lotus lake with distant mountains.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["temple gold","saffron","granite grey","snow white","lake blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: multi-panel composition—Veṅkaṭa hill shrine with the Lord as Annadātā distributing prasāda, gold leaf dominating the temple vimāna; yajña-sthala with Śambhu aspect beside blazing fire and priests; Laṅkā city with Pulastya as calm rishi in saffron robes; Kāśmīra lotus lake with Haṃsavāhana on a swan, all with ornate gold halos, gem-studded ornaments, rich reds and greens.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Tirumala hill rendered in layered greens with a small but detailed temple; annadāna scene with gentle human expressions; airy yajña-ground with smoke curling; Laṅkā as a distant coastal fort-city; Kashmir as cool blue valley with lotus lake and swan-rider; delicate brushwork, refined faces, atmospheric depth.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic Annadātā figure with overflowing food vessels; yajña panel with fire and ritual gestures; Pulastya as rishi with kamandalu and jata; Haṃsavāhana on swan with lotus lake motifs; bold outlines, natural pigments, temple-wall symmetry, red/yellow/green palette with black contours.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central Annadātā on Veṅkaṭa hill framed by lotus borders; surrounding medallions show yajña-sthala with fire, Laṅkā with rishi Pulastya, and Kāśmīra with swan over lotus lake; intricate floral creepers, deep blues and gold, stylized devotees and offerings."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","conch shell","yajña fire crackle","Vedic chanting","mountain wind hush"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: चान्नदाता=च+अन्नदाता; शंभुश्चैव=शम्भुः+च+एव; पुलस्त्योहं=पुलस्त्यः+अहम्.
FAQs
It presents a Purāṇic mapping of divine presence to notable regions—Veṅkaṭa, a sacrificial site (kratu-sthala), Laṅkā, and Kāśmīra—implying that different places are sanctified through distinct manifestations or titles.
By asserting that the divine is accessible in multiple locations and forms, it supports a bhakti outlook where devotion can be practiced through pilgrimage, remembrance, and service at locally revered sacred sites.
The epithet “Annadātā” highlights the virtue of providing food and sustaining others; the verse implicitly elevates charity, hospitality, and support of ritual and sacred spaces as spiritually meaningful acts.