Shloka 56
Episode of King Vena: Deceptive Doctrine, Compassion, and the Contest over Dharma
जलाशया महाराज तडागाः सागरास्तथा । पृथिव्याधारकाश्चैव गिरयो अश्मराशयः
jalāśayā mahārāja taḍāgāḥ sāgarāstathā | pṛthivyādhārakāścaiva girayo aśmarāśayaḥ
Wahai Maharaja, takungan air—kolam dan juga lautan—serta gunung-ganang yang menyangga bumi, himpunan batu-batan, hendaklah difahami demikian.
Unspecified narrator addressing a king (mahārāja); likely within a Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue context in Bhūmi-khaṇḍa, but not explicit from the single verse.
Concept: Not all impressive natural features (ponds, oceans, mountains) automatically qualify as tīrtha; classification precedes discernment of sanctity.
Application: Respect nature’s grandeur, but seek spiritual transformation through right association, worship, and conduct rather than assuming any water/rock is inherently salvific.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage addresses a crowned king in a quiet assembly, gesturing outward as if mapping the world: ponds glint like mirrors, an ocean horizon shimmers, and massive mountains rise like the earth’s pillars. The scene feels like a living cosmographic diagram—nature’s scale presented to question where sanctity truly resides.","primary_figures":["sage narrator","mahārāja (king)","attendant scribes (optional)"],"setting":"royal pavilion opening onto a panoramic landscape showing pond, sea, and mountains in one symbolic vista","lighting_mood":"clear daylight","color_palette":["lapis blue","granite gray","sandstone beige","emerald green","sunlit gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a sage instructing a king with a stylized cosmographic backdrop—ponds, ocean waves, and towering mountains rendered with gold leaf contours; rich reds/greens in royal textiles, ornate jewelry, and a gilded frame-like border emphasizing the didactic grandeur.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined courtly teaching scene with a sweeping Himalayan-like mountain range, a small pond with lotuses, and a distant ocean band; delicate brushwork, cool blues and grays, lyrical trees, subtle expressions of attentive listening.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold-outlined sage and king in profile, with symbolic mountains and ocean behind them; flat yet vibrant planes of color, temple-wall aesthetic, patterned textiles, and iconographic clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: decorative landscape panel—lotus-filled pond, stylized ocean waves, and mountain silhouettes framed by floral borders; central medallion shows the sage teaching the king, deep blues and gold with intricate motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["gentle court ambience","distant wind over mountains","soft mridangam pulse (subtle)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सागरास्तथा → सागराः तथा; पृथिव्याधारकाश्चैव → पृथिव्याधारकाः च एव; गिरयो अश्मराशयः → गिरयः अश्मराशयः (विसर्ग-लोप/पदविभाग).
FAQs
It enumerates key natural features: water-reservoirs (ponds and oceans) and earth-supporting mountains, described as masses of rock.
The phrase reflects Purāṇic cosmography where mountains are portrayed as stabilizing, anchoring, or structurally sustaining the earth’s expanse.
No. The verse is descriptive and geographic/cosmographic; it does not directly mention deities, tīrthas, or a devotional injunction in this line.