Shloka 22
The Procedure for the Consecration of a Pond
रजसा मंडलं कुर्यात्पंचवर्णेन तत्त्ववित् । षोडशारं ततश्चक्रं पद्मगर्भं चतुर्मुखम्
rajasā maṃḍalaṃ kuryātpaṃcavarṇena tattvavit | ṣoḍaśāraṃ tataścakraṃ padmagarbhaṃ caturmukham
Orang yang mengetahui tattva hendaklah melukis maṇḍala berbentuk bulatan dengan rajas (pigmen merah), menggunakan lima warna. Kemudian buat roda berspokes enam belas, dan di dalamnya wujud empat wajah berinti teratai (padma-garbha).
Unspecified (narrative/ritual instruction context within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa)
Concept: Mandala-making externalizes tattva-knowledge: color, number, and form become a contemplative map of creation and the ordered cosmos.
Application: Use structured practices (diagramming, journaling, breath counts, prayer beads) to stabilize attention; let beauty and order guide the mind toward the sacred.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"On a purified ritual floor, a tattva-knower draws a red circular mandala, then fills it with five colors, forming a radiant sixteen-spoked wheel. At its heart blooms a lotus-womb from which a serene four-faced Brahmā emerges, suggesting creation unfolding from sacred geometry.","primary_figures":["ritual expert (tattvavit)","Brahmā (caturmukha)","attending priests"],"setting":"Inside a yajña-maṇḍapa with a freshly smeared floor, pigment bowls, measuring cords, and a central altar nearby.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["rajasic crimson","saffron","emerald green","lapis blue","chalk white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a luminous pañcavarṇa mandala on the floor—red circular base, intricate sixteen-spoked chakra, central lotus-womb with four-faced Brahmā; heavy gold leaf outlining spokes and lotus petals, rich vermilion and emerald borders, gem-studded pigment bowls, South Indian pavilion pillars, sacred symmetry and grandeur.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined mandala-drawing scene with delicate brushwork—priest kneeling with pigment bowls, a crisp sixteen-spoked wheel, soft lotus center revealing caturmukha Brahmā; cool balanced palette, fine line geometry, lyrical calm, subtle architectural framing and distant landscape beyond the pavilion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold geometric mandala with thick black outlines, flat fields of five colors, central lotus with iconic four-faced Brahmā; temple-wall aesthetic, strong reds/yellows/greens, ornamental borders, stylized ritual implements.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate chakra-lotus mandala with dense floral borders and lotus motifs; sixteen spokes highlighted in gold on deep blue ground, central lotus-womb with Brahmā rendered iconically, symmetrical decorative patterning reminiscent of Nathdwara textiles."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft mantra undertone","brush/powder strokes on floor","single bell at intervals","near-silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: kuryātpaṃcavarṇena = kuryāt + pañca-varṇena; ṣoḍaśāraṃ = ṣoḍaśa-āram (ā + a sandhi); tataścakraṃ = tataḥ + cakram; padmagarbhaṃ = padma-garbham.
FAQs
It prescribes a ritual/meditative construction of a maṇḍala: a circular diagram made with red pigment and five colours, followed by a sixteen-spoked wheel and a central lotus-associated four-faced form (evoking Brahmā).
In Purāṇic and tantric-ritual symbolism, a chakra with fixed counts (like sixteen) and a lotus-center often encode ordered cosmology and principles (tattvas). The lotus especially signals purity and the emergence of creation, commonly associated with Brahmā.
The verse emphasizes disciplined, knowledgeable practice (tattvavit): sacred work is to be done with understanding, precision, and reverence for cosmic order rather than as mere external ritual.