Shloka 114
The Tale of the Five Pretas and the Glory of Puṣkara & the Eastern Sarasvatī
विदित्वा दुष्करं कर्म तस्या स्तुतिमकारयन् । त्वं बुद्धिस्त्वं मतिर्लक्ष्मीस्त्वं विद्या त्वं गतिः परा
viditvā duṣkaraṃ karma tasyā stutimakārayan | tvaṃ buddhistvaṃ matirlakṣmīstvaṃ vidyā tvaṃ gatiḥ parā
Mengetahui amalnya amat sukar dilaksanakan, mereka pun menggubah puji-pujian baginya: “Engkaulah buddhi, engkaulah mati; engkaulah Lakṣmī; engkaulah vidyā; engkaulah gati yang tertinggi.”
Narrator (contextual; specific interlocutors not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Concept: The Divine is immanent as the very powers of cognition and the highest refuge; praise recognizes the source behind all capacities.
Application: Treat intellect and learning as sacred trusts; begin study/work with a brief salutation, and use knowledge for dharmic ends rather than ego.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A radiant Devī stands upon a fully bloomed lotus, her aura forming subtle glyphs of ‘buddhi’ and ‘vidyā’ like luminous script in the air. Around her, sages and devas offer a hymn-scroll, while a soft mandala behind her suggests the ‘supreme refuge’ as a doorway of light.","primary_figures":["Lakṣmī/Śrī (as Devī)","praising sages/devas"],"setting":"cosmic lotus pavilion with floating hymn-scrolls and a calm, star-washed sky","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["lotus pink","sapphire blue","gold leaf","pearl white","emerald green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Lakṣmī/Śrī on a lotus throne, four-armed with lotus and abhaya, halo rendered in heavy gold leaf, gem-studded crown and ornaments, sages at the bottom holding a palm-leaf hymn, rich vermilion and emerald background panels, ornate arch (prabhāmaṇḍala) with embossed gold detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a serene Devī on a pale pink lotus beside a stylized celestial lake, delicate facial features and fine linework, sages in white seated in a semicircle offering a manuscript, cool blues and soft greens, distant hills like dream-mountains, lyrical atmosphere emphasizing ‘parā gatiḥ’.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, Lakṣmī with large expressive eyes and elaborate headgear, lotus pedestal, surrounding aureole with rhythmic floral motifs, warm red and yellow fields with green accents, sages rendered in simplified temple-mural idiom holding a stuti scroll.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lotus medallion with Śrī-Lakṣmī as auspicious presence, intricate floral borders, gold highlights, surrounding motifs of conch and lotus, deep indigo background, small vignettes of devotees offering prayers, emphasizing the ‘supreme refuge’ through a luminous central aura."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["temple bells","tanpura drone","conch shell (soft, distant)","silence between lines"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्तुतिमकारयन् = स्तुतिम् + अकारयन्; बुद्धिस्त्वं = बुद्धिः + त्वम्; मतिर्लक्ष्मीः = मतिः + लक्ष्मीः; लक्ष्मीस्त्वं = लक्ष्मीः + त्वम्.
FAQs
The verse praises a revered feminine divine power (a Devī) by identifying her with buddhi (intellect), mati (understanding), Lakṣmī (fortune/prosperity), and vidyā (knowledge), concluding that she is the supreme refuge/goal (parā gati).
It uses stuti (hymnic praise) and the devotional formula “tvam…” (“You are…”) to equate the deity with core human faculties and ultimate salvation, presenting the divine as both immanent (in intellect/knowledge) and transcendent (supreme goal).
It implies that true security and fulfillment are found not merely in worldly achievement but in taking refuge in the divine source of discernment, wisdom, prosperity rightly used, and liberating knowledge.