Shloka 163
Mārkaṇḍeya’s Birth and Boon; Puṣkara’s Glory; Rāma’s Śrāddha; Refuge-Hymn to Śiva
शांतं मुनिं यमनियोगपरायणैस्तैर्भीमैर्महोग्रपुरुषैः प्रतिनीयमानम् । भक्त्यानतं स्तुतिपरं प्रसभं ररक्ष तं शंकरं शरणदं शरणं व्रजामि
śāṃtaṃ muniṃ yamaniyogaparāyaṇaistairbhīmairmahograpuruṣaiḥ pratinīyamānam | bhaktyānataṃ stutiparaṃ prasabhaṃ rarakṣa taṃ śaṃkaraṃ śaraṇadaṃ śaraṇaṃ vrajāmi
ข้าพเจ้าขอถึงพระศังกระ ผู้ประทานที่พึ่ง—พระองค์ผู้ทรงคุ้มครองฤๅษีผู้สงบอย่างเด็ดเดี่ยว เมื่อฤๅษีนั้นถูกเหล่าภูตอันน่ากลัว ดุร้าย ผู้ยึดมั่นในบัญชาของยมราชพาไป; ฤๅษีนั้นก้มกราบด้วยภักติและตั้งมั่นในบทสรรเสริญ
Narratorial/devotional voice (stotra-style first-person statement within the text context)
Concept: Śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) and stuti offered with bhakti invoke divine protection even against fearsome karmic consequences.
Application: Cultivate daily remembrance and humble praise; when fear or guilt arises, turn to disciplined repentance, mantra/stotra, and ethical repair rather than despair.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene ascetic, hands folded in devotion, is dragged by towering, terrifying emissaries of Yama through a shadowed liminal path. Śaṅkara bursts forth with compassionate fury, interposing himself and shielding the sage, while the emissaries recoil as if struck by unseen mantra-fire.","primary_figures":["Śaṅkara (Śiva)","a tranquil muni (sage)","Yamadūtas (terrifying attendants of Yama)"],"setting":"A twilight threshold between forest hermitage and a dark, otherworldly road; faint cremation-ground motifs at the edge, but the sage’s aura keeps the center pure.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance cutting through gloom","color_palette":["ash white","smoky indigo","rudraksha brown","trident silver","aura-gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Śaṅkara as refuge-giver stands frontal with abhaya-mudrā and trident, protecting a kneeling sage; Yamadūtas at the margins in subdued tones; heavy gold leaf halo around Śiva, rich vermilion and emerald borders, gem-studded ornaments, traditional South Indian iconography with crisp temple-arch framing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical twilight forest path with delicate brushwork; the sage in white sits in namaskāra while dark Yamadūtas pull a rope; Śiva appears in a soft blue-grey aura, calm yet commanding; refined faces, subtle gradients, distant hills and a thin crescent moon.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines; Śiva large-eyed with crescent moon and matted locks, radiating protective energy; Yamadūtas stylized with dramatic reds and blacks; the sage small but luminous; temple-wall aesthetic using natural pigments and rhythmic ornamentation.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional tableau with ornate floral borders; central protective deity aura rendered with lotus motifs; attendants and fearsome figures pushed to the periphery; deep indigo background with gold highlights, intricate vines and sacred symbols, emphasizing refuge and protection."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bells","distant conch shell","wind through trees","sudden silence at the moment of protection"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: parāyaṇaiḥ + taiḥ → parāyaṇaistaiḥ; bhaktyā + ānatam → bhaktyānataṃ
FAQs
Śaṅkara (Śiva) protects the tranquil sage from Yama’s terrifying attendants who are carrying out Yama’s orders.
The sage is described as bowing in devotion (bhaktyā ānataṃ) and being devoted to praise (stuti-paraṃ), implying that devotion and hymn-like remembrance align one with divine protection.
It teaches that taking refuge in the divine (śaraṇaṃ vrajāmi) and living with devotion and praise can overcome fear—symbolized by Yama’s agents—and that compassion/protection is a key attribute of Śaṅkara as śaraṇada (giver of refuge).