Padma Purana — Srishti Khanda, Shloka 140172
Brahmā’s Lotus-Birth, Puṣkara-Creation Imagery, Madhu–Kaiṭabha, and Early Genealogies
अध्यतिष्ठद्रणाकांक्षी मेरुं दीप्तमिवांशुमान् । तारस्तु क्रोशविस्तारमायामे च तथाविधम्
adhyatiṣṭhadraṇākāṃkṣī meruṃ dīptamivāṃśumān | tārastu krośavistāramāyāme ca tathāvidham
Dengan dahaga peperangan, Aṁśumān berdiri teguh di atas Gunung Meru yang menyala gemilang. Tārā juga mengembang seluas satu krośa pada lebarnya, dan demikian juga pada panjangnya.
Narrator (contextual; specific dialogue speaker not explicit in this single pāda excerpt)
Concept: Steadfastness (sthiti) in a righteous cause requires taking one’s stand on the ‘Meru’ of inner clarity—firm, luminous, and unshaken.
Application: When conflict is unavoidable, choose a principled ground (values, vows, truth) and hold it steadily rather than reacting impulsively.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: mountain
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Aṁśumān, armored and radiant with battle-intent, stands atop blazing Mount Meru whose slopes shimmer like molten gold. Beside him, Tārā expands to a vast, measured cosmic dimension—krośa-breadth and length—suggesting a celestial being or vast formation unfolding across the sky.","primary_figures":["Aṁśumān","Tārā"],"setting":"Summit of Mount Meru above cloud-seas; distant rings of continents and oceans hinted below; banners snapping in thin, high-altitude wind.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["molten gold","saffron orange","sapphire blue","pearl white","smoky violet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Aṁśumān standing on blazing Mount Meru with a heroic stance, ornate crown and armor, gold-leaf halo and mountain contours rendered in embossed gold; Tārā depicted as a vast celestial presence expanding across the sky, rich reds and greens in textiles, gem-studded ornaments, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry, intricate floral borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Aṁśumān on a high Meru peak with delicate brushwork, cool atmospheric perspective, cloud-banks below, Tārā unfolding as a luminous, elongated celestial form across the horizon; refined faces, lyrical naturalism, subtle gradients of dawn light, fine detailing on weapons and garments.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Bold black outlines, Aṁśumān with large expressive eyes and stylized armor, Meru as a tiered golden mountain, Tārā as an expansive celestial figure/formation; natural pigment palette with dominant reds, yellows, greens; temple-wall aesthetic with ornamental bands.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Cosmic Meru rising amid lotus motifs, Aṁśumān rendered in devotional heroic posture; Tārā as a sweeping celestial band across deep blue sky; intricate floral borders, gold highlights, peacocks at the margins, Nathdwara-inspired ornamentation even in a non-Krishna scene."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["conch shell","temple bells","high wind","distant thunder","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: Resolved: अध्यतिष्ठद् = अध्यतिष्ठत् (लङ् 3sg); रणाकाङ्क्षी = रण + आकाङ्क्षी; दीप्तमिवांशुमान् = दीप्तम् + इव + अंशुमान्; तारस्तु = तारः + तु; क्रोशविस्तारमायामे = क्रोशविस्तारम् + आयामे; तथाविधम् = तथा + विधम्.
FAQs
It presents Meru as a radiant, central cosmic mountain—an elevated stage for major mythic events—reinforcing its role as a luminous axis in Purāṇic cosmography.
A krośa is a traditional Indian measure of distance. Here it functions as a narrative scale marker, describing Tārā’s vast extent in both breadth and length.
Not directly. The verse is primarily descriptive—setting a cosmic scene and scale for a conflict—though it indirectly reflects Purāṇic themes of divine order and mythic geography.