Shloka 96

The Birth of Tāraka and the Prelude to the Deva–Asura War

Topic-based Title

Devanagari script

कल्पकालोद्गतज्वाला पूरितोम्बरगोचरः । हुताशनस्त्वजारूढः शक्तिहस्तो व्यवस्थितः

Transliteration

kalpakālodgatajvālā pūritombaragocaraḥ | hutāśanastvajārūḍhaḥ śaktihasto vyavasthitaḥ

Translation

เปลวเพลิงแห่งปลายกัลป์ลุกโพลง แผ่เต็มนภากาศทั้งสิ้น; หุตาศนะ—พระอัคนี—ประทับยืนอย่างพร้อมรบ ทรงอาชา (แพะ) เป็นพาหนะ และทรงถือศักติ (หอก) ไว้ในพระหัตถ์

Word by Word

• kalpa-kāla-udgata-jvālāḥ: with flames risen at the time of cosmic dissolution
• kalpa-kāla-udgata-jvālāḥ: Kartā (कर्ता) (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + udgata (कृदन्त) + jvālā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa chain compound; Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; bahuvrīhi-like sense “whose flames have risen at the time of dissolution (kalpa-kāla)” but form treated as adjective-subanta agreeing with hutāśanaḥ

• pūrīta-ambara-gocaraḥ: whose sphere reaches the sky filled (with flames)
• pūrīta-ambara-gocaraḥ: Kartā (कर्ता) (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrīta (कृदन्त) + ambara (प्रातिपदिक) + gocara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa compound; Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; pūrīta (पूरित, PPP of √pṝ “to fill”) qualifying gocara “range/realm”: “whose range is the filled sky”

• hutāśanaḥ: Agni (Fire-god)
• hutāśanaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hutāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (name of Agni)

• tu: indeed, but
• tu: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध-बोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय) particle (emphasis/contrast)

• ajā-rūḍhaḥ: mounted on a goat
• ajā-rūḍhaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता) (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ajā (प्रातिपदिक) + rūḍha (कृदन्त)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) “mounted on a goat”; rūḍha (रूढ, PPP of √ruh); Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• śakti-hastaḥ: spear-in-hand
• śakti-hastaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता) (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Bahuvrīhi (बहुव्रीहि) “one whose hand has a spear”; Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• vyavasthitaḥ: stationed, standing ready
• vyavasthitaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता) (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyavasthita (कृदन्त)
• Form: Kridanta past passive participle: vyavasthita (व्यवस्थित, vi-ava-√sthā); Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

Speaker

Narrator (context not specified in the provided excerpt; verse is descriptive rather than direct speech).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even dissolution is ordered—cosmic powers stand in disciplined readiness within the divine law of time.

Application: Contemplate impermanence to reduce attachment; meet crises with steadiness and duty rather than panic.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Visual Art Cues

Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"At the edge of a collapsing kalpa, the sky is a single furnace—billowing tongues of flame roll like storm-clouds of fire. In the center stands Hutāśana, mounted on a goat, spear raised, his form sharp against the incandescent void as if guarding the boundary between order and dissolution.","primary_figures":["Hutāśana (Agni)","goat (vāhana)"],"setting":"Apocalyptic sky-vault with swirling fire-winds, ash-motes, and distant silhouettes of collapsing worlds","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["molten gold","vermillion red","smoke gray","obsidian black","ember orange"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Hutāśana (Agni) mounted on a goat, holding a spear, centered within a blazing pralaya-sky; heavy gold leaf halos and flame motifs, rich vermillion and emerald accents on ornaments, gem-studded crown, stylized fire-clouds filling the background, crisp South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a lyrical yet terrifying pralaya horizon with layered flame-clouds; Agni on a goat with a slender spear, delicate linework, refined facial features, translucent smoke washes, cool gray shadows contrasting ember orange, vast sky gradations suggesting cosmic scale.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; Agni with large expressive eyes, spear in hand, goat vāhana, flame-arches framing the figure, red-yellow-green palette with soot-black background bands, temple-wall compositional clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central fiery deity figure (Agni) on goat with spear, surrounded by ornate flame-lotus borders; deep indigo-black ground with gold and vermillion flame patterns, intricate floral filigree, symmetrical textile-like repetition emphasizing cosmic rhythm."}

Audio Atmosphere

Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["roaring fire","conch shell","temple bells","wind gusts","distant thunder"]}

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: kalpakālodgatajvālā → kalpa-kāla-udgata-jvālāḥ; pūritombaragocaraḥ → pūrīta-ambara-gocaraḥ; hutāśanastvajārūḍhaḥ → hutāśanaḥ + tu + ajā-rūḍhaḥ; śaktihasto → śakti-hastaḥ.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Hutāśana)

FAQs

Who is Hutāśana in this verse?

Hutāśana is a common epithet of Agni (Fire), meaning “the eater of oblations,” i.e., the deity who receives offerings in sacrificial rites.

What is the significance of the ‘kalpa-time flames’ described here?

The imagery evokes cosmic-scale fire associated with the end-phase of a kalpa, emphasizing Agni’s overwhelming, world-pervading power in dissolution and transformation.

Why is Agni described as mounted on a goat and holding a spear?

The goat is a traditional vāhana (mount) of Agni in iconography, while the spear (śakti) signifies martial potency and decisive, penetrating energy—fitting for a deity portrayed as standing ready amid cosmic conflagration.