Shloka 176
The Tārakāmaya War: Divine Mustering, Māyā Countermeasures, Aurva Fire, and Viṣṇu’s Slaying of Kālanemi
उच्छ्रितेनाग्रहस्तेन दक्षिणेन वपुष्मता । दानवान्देवनिहतान्ब्रुवन्तं तिष्ठतेति च
ucchritenāgrahastena dakṣiṇena vapuṣmatā | dānavāndevanihatānbruvantaṃ tiṣṭhateti ca
Dengan tangan kanan terangkat ke hadapan dan wibawa yang gagah, baginda menyeru para Dānava—yang telah ditewaskan para dewa—“Berhentilah, berdirilah menghadapku!”
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses in Adhyaya 41).
Concept: Adharma confronts dharma with boldness, but mere force cannot overturn divine order.
Application: When faced with intimidation, remember that moral order is larger than the moment; respond with steadiness rather than panic.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: raudra
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A towering asura commander stands in the churned dust of a celestial battlefield, right hand thrust forward in a commanding gesture, as if arresting the very tide of war. Fallen Dānavas lie behind him like dark waves, while distant devas hesitate, their banners trembling under a stormy sky.","primary_figures":["Kālanemi (asura)","Devas (in the distance)"],"setting":"Celestial battlefield with broken chariots, scattered weapons, and swirling dust; faint outlines of heavenly palaces on the horizon.","lighting_mood":"storm-lit, dramatic chiaroscuro","color_palette":["iron gray","blood red","smoky violet","burnished gold","ashen brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Kālanemi as a colossal asura with raised right hand in a commanding mudra, heavy gold ornaments and crown, muscular torso, fierce eyes; devas in smaller scale at the edges with jeweled crowns; gold leaf embellishment on armor, weapons, and banners; rich reds, greens, and deep blacks; ornate arch-like frame suggesting a celestial arena.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a tense battlefield tableau with delicate linework—Kālanemi in the foreground gesturing ‘tishthata’, devas clustered at mid-distance with anxious faces; cool slate sky, dusty ground, fluttering pennants; refined facial features, lyrical but ominous landscape, subtle gradients.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments—Kālanemi front-facing with exaggerated eyes and fierce expression, right hand extended; devas arranged in rhythmic rows; red-yellow-green palette with stylized clouds and weapon motifs like temple-wall iconography.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a symbolic battlefield framed by intricate floral borders; central asura figure commanding, surrounded by patterned weapon motifs and lotus medallions; deep indigo background with gold detailing; peacock-feather-like flourishes in banners, ornate textile texture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["war drums","conch shell","clashing weapons","gusting wind"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: उच्छ्रितेनाग्रहस्तेन → उच्छ्रितेन अग्रहस्तेन; दानवान्देवनिहतान्ब्रुवन्तं → दानवान् देवनिहतान् ब्रुवन्तम्; तिष्ठतेति → तिष्ठत इति
FAQs
It depicts a commanding figure raising his right hand and issuing a direct challenge—“Stand!”—to the Dānavas associated with being defeated by the gods.
Dānavas are a class of powerful anti-god beings (often grouped with Daityas/Asuras). “Deva-nihatān” literally means “slain by the gods,” indicating they were defeated in a divine conflict (or are being addressed as those already struck down by the Devas).
On its own, the verse emphasizes resolve and confrontation in the face of opposition; fuller ethical teaching depends on identifying the speaker and narrative purpose from adjacent verses.