Shloka 174
The Tārakāmaya War: Divine Mustering, Māyā Countermeasures, Aurva Fire, and Viṣṇu’s Slaying of Kālanemi
तर्जयंतं सुरगणांश्छादयंतं दिशो दश । संवर्तकाले हृषितं दृष्टं मृत्युमिवोत्थितम्
tarjayaṃtaṃ suragaṇāṃśchādayaṃtaṃ diśo daśa | saṃvartakāle hṛṣitaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ mṛtyumivotthitam
Mereka melihatnya—mengancam bala para dewa, menyelubungi sepuluh penjuru; bersukaria pada kala pralaya, seakan Maut sendiri bangkit berdiri.
Narrator (context not specified in the provided excerpt; likely within the Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue frame of the Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa)
Concept: Dissolution-time imagery reminds that all manifested power is impermanent; only refuge in the Supreme transcends the fear of death and cosmic ending.
Application: Contemplate impermanence to reduce arrogance and anxiety; practice remembrance (smaraṇa), ethical living, and devotion so that ‘deathlike’ moments do not unseat the mind.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"The fearsome figure roars and threatens the assembled gods as a shadowy veil spreads outward, swallowing the ten directions—east to zenith to nadir—until the cosmos feels enclosed. His expression is exultant, as if rejoicing in saṃvarta, standing like Death risen, while the devas shrink back amid dimming celestial light.","primary_figures":["Colossal fearsome being (deathlike)","Deva-gana"],"setting":"Celestial battlefield dissolving into pralaya-like darkness; directions symbolized by fading guardian emblems; clouds and ash-winds encroaching.","lighting_mood":"apocalyptic eclipse—light being swallowed, with a harsh rim-glow around the central figure","color_palette":["eclipse black","ashen white","dark maroon","sickly green-grey","rim gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central deathlike giant exultant at saṃvarta, arms raised in threat; ten directional guardians’ symbols fading at the borders; gold leaf rim-light around the figure against deep black; rich reds and greens in ornaments; devas clustered below with expressive fear, traditional South Indian celestial motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: an eclipse-dark sky with delicate gradations; the ten directions suggested by faint compass-like motifs and dim lokapāla emblems; the giant’s silhouette towering, devas rendered with fine anxious faces; restrained palette with sharp rim highlights for dread.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: dramatic, iconic composition; bold outlines; the central figure as ‘Mṛtyu-like’ with intense eyes; directional bands around the scene darkening; strong natural pigments—reds/yellows/greens—subdued by black eclipse fields; temple-wall gravitas.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate border with lotus motifs turning shadowed; deep indigo-black ground; central threatening figure with gold rim; stylized directional petals (ten) fading outward; intricate patterning to convey veiling of space, devas as small attendants in the lower register."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["deep drum","eclipse-like hush","distant thunder","conch shell (single, grave)","wind"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सुरगणांश्छादयंतं → सुरगणान् छादयन्तम्; संवर्तकाले → संवर्तकाले (समास); मृत्युमिवोत्थितम् → मृत्युम् इव उत्थितम्
FAQs
It is a stock Purāṇic image for overwhelming cosmic power—so vast that it obscures every quarter (all space), signaling a being whose presence dominates the world-order.
The comparison conveys irresistible inevitability: at saṁvarta (dissolution), even divine hosts are powerless, and the being appears as the embodied force that ends worlds.
It underscores impermanence and the limits of power: even celestial status cannot avert cosmic law, encouraging humility and a turn toward dharma and liberation-oriented practice.