Shloka 18
संकर्षति प्रजाश्चांते ह्यव्यक्ताय यतो विभुः । ततः संकर्षणो नाम्ना विज्ञेयः शरणागतैः
saṃkarṣati prajāścāṃte hyavyaktāya yato vibhuḥ | tataḥ saṃkarṣaṇo nāmnā vijñeyaḥ śaraṇāgataiḥ
यतो विभुः अन्ते प्रजाः सर्वाः अव्यक्ते संकर्षति, ततो ‘संकर्षण’ इति नाम्ना शरणागतैः विज्ञेयः॥
Unspecified (narrative voice not provided in the excerpt)
Concept: At the end of time the Lord draws all beings back into the Unmanifest; thus He is Saṅkarṣaṇa, the gatherer-withdrawer, known by those who take refuge.
Application: Contemplate impermanence to loosen attachment; practice śaraṇāgati (refuge) through daily prayer, surrender of outcomes, and ethical living aligned with dharma.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A grand pralaya tableau: worlds fold inward like petals closing, oceans rise, stars dim, and streams of beings—subtle lights—are gently drawn toward a vast, tranquil darkness labeled ‘Avyakta’. At the center stands Saṅkarṣaṇa, serene and immense, drawing all into Himself not with violence but with irresistible cosmic gravity, while a few devotees cling to His feet in śaraṇāgati.","primary_figures":["Saṅkarṣaṇa","refuge-seeking devotees","cosmic beings as light-forms"],"setting":"Cosmic dissolution scene with collapsing lokas, swirling waters, and a central stillness representing the Unmanifest.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["midnight indigo","smoky violet","silver","ashen gray","pale gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Saṅkarṣaṇa central, towering with gold-leaf halo and ornate crown; surrounding lokas depicted as concentric rings being drawn inward; devotees at His feet; dramatic gold highlights against deep indigo, embossed gold waves and celestial motifs.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate swirling clouds and waters, lokas as faint layered horizons; Saṅkarṣaṇa calm, refined features, subtle aura; cool nocturnal palette with silver accents, lyrical sense of cosmic motion.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized pralaya waters and serpentine motifs; Saṅkarṣaṇa with strong frontal iconography, large expressive eyes; dense patterning, red-yellow-green with deep blue background.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: circular mandala of dissolving worlds drawn toward a central lotus-darkness; Saṅkarṣaṇa as the axis; ornate floral borders, gold detailing on indigo cloth, rhythmic repetition of wave and lotus motifs."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["distant conch shell","low drum pulse","wind-like hush","occasional temple bell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रजाश्चांते = प्रजाः + च + अन्ते; ह्यव्यक्ताय = हि + अव्यक्ताय.
FAQs
Saṅkarṣaṇa is a divine designation of the Lord emphasizing His cosmic function of withdrawal: at the end of a cycle He draws all beings back into the Unmanifest (avyakta).
Avyakta refers to the unmanifest state of nature/existence into which names and forms dissolve at pralaya; the verse describes reabsorption of creation into that unmanifest condition.
The verse frames this cosmological truth as a point of refuge-based devotion: those who surrender are urged to recognize the Lord’s name and nature correctly, trusting His supreme control over creation and dissolution.