Shloka 184
Slaying of Andhaka; Hymn to the Sun; Glory of Brahmins; Gayatri Nyasa and Pranayama
षट्कुक्षिलक्षणां पुत्र गायत्रीं शृणु यत्नतः । यां ज्ञात्वा तु परं ब्रह्मस्थानं गच्छति वै द्विजः
ṣaṭkukṣilakṣaṇāṃ putra gāyatrīṃ śṛṇu yatnataḥ | yāṃ jñātvā tu paraṃ brahmasthānaṃ gacchati vai dvijaḥ
പുത്രാ, ആറു വിഭാഗലക്ഷണമുള്ള ഗായത്രിയെ ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ കേൾക്കുക; അതിനെ യഥാർത്ഥമായി അറിഞ്ഞാൽ ദ്വിജൻ പരബ്രഹ്മധാമത്തെ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു।
Unspecified in provided excerpt (context-dependent narrator/teacher addressing ‘putra’).
Concept: Mantra-vidyā (Gāyatrī) properly learned becomes a direct means to the supreme goal.
Application: Maintain daily sandhyā with attentive recitation and meaning-reflection; treat mantra-learning as character-training (śraddhā, niyama, satya).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene guru seated on a kusa-grass mat at dawn instructs his son-disciple, who listens with folded hands. Behind them, a subtle cosmic lotus motif hints at the Padma Purāṇa’s creation vision, while a faint aura of syllables rises like golden fireflies from the teacher’s lips.","primary_figures":["Vedic guru (ācārya)","dvija disciple (putra)","subtle presence of Savitṛ as radiant orb"],"setting":"Forest hermitage (āśrama) near a small yajña-vedi, with tulasī in a clay pot at the edge as a Vaishnava signature detail.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["saffron gold","ash white","leaf green","vermillion","sky blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a seated ācārya teaching the Gāyatrī to a young dvija at a dawn-lit āśrama, Savitṛ depicted as a radiant golden disc with stylized rays, ornate gold-leaf haloing, rich red-green textiles, gem-studded ornaments on ritual vessels, delicate lotus borders referencing Padma Purāṇa.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate guru-śiṣya scene in a quiet Himalayan-like grove, cool blues and soft greens, fine facial features, thin ink lines, a small yajña-vedi and deer in the distance, the rising sun as Savitṛ with gentle radiance, lyrical naturalism and airy space.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, warm yellow-red-green pigments, the guru with elongated eyes and stylized hair-knot, the disciple in añjali, a glowing sun-disc of Savitṛ above, temple-wall aesthetic with lotus and conch motifs subtly indicating Vaishnava orientation.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional composition with lotus motifs and ornate floral borders, a central radiant sun-disc (Savitṛ) above a small āśrama vignette, peacocks and cows at the periphery, deep indigo background with gold highlights, Vaishnava symbols (śaṅkha-cakra) worked into the border."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bell","morning birds","gentle wind in leaves","distant conch shell","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: षट्कुक्षिलक्षणाम् = षट् + कुक्षि + लक्षणाम् (समास); ब्रह्मस्थानम् = ब्रह्मन् + स्थानम् (समास)
FAQs
It describes the Gāyatrī as having “six divisions/sections,” a traditional way of indicating a structured, multi-part understanding or recitation of the mantra (the exact six are clarified by surrounding commentary or adjacent verses in the text’s context).
The verse states that by truly knowing (realizing) the Gāyatrī, the twice-born attains the supreme “brahma-sthāna,” i.e., the highest state/abode identified with Brahman.
The instruction is to listen and learn “yatnataḥ” (with effort and attentiveness), implying disciplined study and sincere practice rather than casual recitation.