Shloka 65
Puṣkara Mahatmya: Brahmā’s Lotus-Tīrtha, Sacrifice, Initiation, and Kṣetra-Dharma
शिखराण्यप्यशीर्यंत पर्वतानां सहस्रशः । देवसिद्धविमानानि गंधर्वनगराणि च
śikharāṇyapyaśīryaṃta parvatānāṃ sahasraśaḥ | devasiddhavimānāni gaṃdharvanagarāṇi ca
Bahkan puncak ribuan gunung pun hancur runtuh; dan vimāna para Deva serta Siddha, juga kota-kota para Gandharva, turut bergoncang lalu musnah.
Unspecified narrator (context-dependent within Adhyaya 15)
Concept: Even the ‘high’—mountain summits and celestial cities—is subject to collapse; stability is not found in elevation or privilege but in the imperishable (akṣara).
Application: Do not anchor identity in status, achievement, or ‘higher worlds’; cultivate remembrance, humility, and practices aimed at the lasting good.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Thousands of mountain peaks fracture and cascade in slow-motion avalanches, dust plumes rising like gray lotuses. Above, jeweled vimānas of devas and siddhas tilt and shudder, while delicate, music-filled gandharva cities crack like glass domes, their banners whipping in a turbulent sky.","primary_figures":["Devas in vimānas","Siddhas","Gandharvas","personified Mountains (optional)"],"setting":"A panoramic cosmos: rugged mountain ranges below, mid-air celestial traffic, and floating cities among storm clouds.","lighting_mood":"dramatic storm-lit","color_palette":["granite gray","dust beige","turquoise","gold leaf","smoky purple"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: grand multi-tier composition—crumbling mountains with embossed texture; above them ornate vimānas with gold leaf and gem-like detailing; floating gandharva cities with intricate arches, now cracked; rich reds/greens, heavy gold highlights, dramatic diagonals conveying shaking motion.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: sweeping Himalayan-like ranges with delicate avalanche lines; small luminous vimānas in a turbulent sky; floating palaces rendered with fine architectural detail; cool blues and purples with warm gold accents, refined faces of gandharvas in distress.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines of mountains breaking into stylized shards; vimānas and celestial cities in rhythmic patterns; expressive deva and gandharva faces; traditional pigment palette with strong contrasts and decorative cloud bands.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: symbolic mountains as repeating triangular motifs collapsing inward; celestial vimānas and gandharva-nagara arranged in symmetrical bands yet shown fractured; ornate floral borders and lotus medallions, deep indigo background with gold and turquoise detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Todi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["rockfall rumble","whistling wind","metallic chime (shaken ornaments)","distant celestial drums","sudden silence after impact"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शिखराण्यप्यशीर्यंत = शिखराणि + अपि + अशीर्यन्त (इ + अ → य); देवसिद्धविमानानि, गंधर्वनगराणि इति समासपदानि।
FAQs
It uses cosmic-catastrophe imagery—mountain summits collapsing and even celestial realms (vimānas and Gandharva cities) being affected—to convey the scale of a major upheaval in the narrative.
Devas are the gods of the cosmic order; Siddhas are perfected beings associated with extraordinary powers; Gandharvas are celestial musician-beings often described as inhabiting splendid heavenly cities.
By showing even lofty mountains and heavenly abodes as vulnerable, the verse underscores impermanence and the limits of worldly/celestial grandeur, directing attention toward enduring spiritual aims rather than reliance on status or realm.