Shloka 32
Puṣkara Sacrifice: Gāyatrī’s Marriage, Sāvitrī’s Wrath, Rudra’s Test, and the Tīrtha-Māhātmya
दिव्यंवर्षशतं साग्रं स यज्ञो ववृधे तदा । यज्ञवाटं कपर्दी तु भिक्षार्थं समुपागतः
divyaṃvarṣaśataṃ sāgraṃ sa yajño vavṛdhe tadā | yajñavāṭaṃ kapardī tu bhikṣārthaṃ samupāgataḥ
వంద (మరియు మరికొంత) దివ్య సంవత్సరాల పాటు ఆ యజ్ఞం విస్తరిస్తూనే ఉండింది. అప్పుడు కపర్దీ—జటాధారి శివుడు—భిక్షార్థంగా యజ్ఞవాటికకు వచ్చాడు।
Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; specific dialogue-pair not explicit in this single verse)
Concept: Even the most expansive ritual enterprise is tested by the unexpected arrival of the divine in unsettling forms; dharma is measured by response, not duration.
Application: Do not equate longevity/scale of projects with spiritual maturity; cultivate readiness to honor holiness even when it appears inconvenient or socially ‘unacceptable.’
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: temple
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A colossal yajña has been burning for a hundred divine years, its smoke forming a pillar that seems to stitch earth to heaven. Into the ordered enclosure steps Kapardī—matted hair, ash-smeared body—quietly holding out a begging gesture, turning the ritual’s triumph into a moment of uneasy silence.","primary_figures":["Kapardī (Śiva as bhikṣuka)","ṛtviks","devas (watching)"],"setting":"immense yajña-vedi with towering posts, banners, heaps of offerings, and a guarded perimeter of priests and attendants","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["ash white","ruddy copper","smoke blue","charcoal black","flame orange"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: grand sacrificial arena with embossed gold detailing on pillars and vessels; Kapardī (Śiva) ash-smeared with matted locks enters holding a begging bowl, contrasted against richly dressed priests; dramatic gold-leaf highlights on flames and ornaments, deep maroon and emerald textiles, intense sacred tension.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: wide composition showing the vast yajña pavilion; delicate depiction of smoke spirals and long ritual duration; Śiva as a wandering ascetic at the edge, subdued colors and fine brushwork; priests clustered in bright whites and saffron, faces turned in surprise.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized massive vedi and agni; Kapardī with bold outlines, ash-toned body, tiger-skin cloth, matted hair; priests in patterned garments; strong reds/yellows/greens with black contouring, temple-wall gravitas.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: yajña scene framed by ornate floral borders; central fire as a lotus-flame mandala; Śiva-bhikṣuka entering from the side, rendered with symbolic motifs (trident, crescent) integrated into decorative patterning; deep indigo background with gold accents."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["sudden hush","fire roar","wind through banners","distant drum (mṛdaṅga)","single bell strike"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: divyaṃvarṣaśataṃ = दिव्यम् + वर्षशतम्; other words mostly in simple junction.
FAQs
In Purāṇic narrative, Śiva’s approach as a mendicant tests the sacrificer’s humility and generosity, reminding that ritual greatness must be joined with reverence and charity.
It indicates an extraordinarily long, cosmic-scale duration, emphasizing the immense magnitude and sustained power of the yajña rather than a simple human calendar span.
Even the most elaborate ritual is incomplete without hospitality and giving; the verse hints that spiritual merit is measured by conduct—especially generosity toward those who ask.