Shloka 38
सत्य–अनृत, प्रकाश–तमस्, स्वर्ग–नरक विवेचनम्
Truth and Untruth as Light and Darkness; Svarga and Naraka as Ethical Consequences
कर्णिका तस्य पद्मस्य मेरुर्गगनमुच्छित: । तस्य मध्ये स्थितो लोकान् सृजते जगत: प्रभु:
karṇikā tasya padmasya merur gaganam ucchitaḥ | tasya madhye sthito lokān sṛjate jagataḥ prabhuḥ ||
कर्णिका तस्य पद्मस्य मेरुर्गगनमुच्छ्रितः । तस्य मध्ये स्थितो लोकान् सृजते जगतः प्रभुः ॥
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a cosmological metaphor: the universe is envisioned like a lotus whose central core is Meru, and at its center abides the supreme Lord who generates the worlds. Ethically, it underscores an ordered cosmos governed by a higher principle, inviting reverence and alignment with dharma rather than viewing existence as random.
Bharadvāja is describing the structure of the cosmos using the lotus image—identifying Meru as the lotus’s central pericarp and stating that the Lord, seated at the center, creates the various worlds. It functions as a doctrinal/cosmological exposition within the reflective teachings of the Śānti Parva.