Shloka 177
Means to Slay Tāraka: Girijā’s Birth, Kāma’s Burning, and Umā’s Austerities
ब्रह्मादिस्थावरांतोऽयं संसारो यः प्रकीर्तितः । स जन्ममृत्युदुःखार्तो ह्यनिशं परिवर्तते
brahmādisthāvarāṃto'yaṃ saṃsāro yaḥ prakīrtitaḥ | sa janmamṛtyuduḥkhārto hyaniśaṃ parivartate
วัฏสงสารนี้ซึ่งกล่าวว่าครอบคลุมตั้งแต่พรหมาไปจนถึงสรรพสิ่งอันไม่เคลื่อนไหว ย่อมถูกรบกวนด้วยทุกข์แห่งเกิดและตายอยู่เสมอ และหมุนเวียนไม่รู้จบ
Unspecified (narrative voice within Padma Purāṇa, Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa context)
Concept: All conditioned existence, from Brahmā down to immobile beings, revolves ceaselessly under the sorrow of birth and death.
Application: Use the recognition of saṃsāra’s repetitive pain to prioritize sādhanā: regular japa, Ekādaśī discipline, charity, and service to devotees; reduce procrastination in spiritual life.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A colossal wheel of existence turns through layered realms: at the top sits Brahmā on a lotus, below are humans, animals, and finally immobile trees and mountains—each segment marked by scenes of birth and death. A faint, steady beam of light descends from beyond the wheel, hinting at liberation beyond the turning.","primary_figures":["Brahmā","Humans (symbolic)","Animals (symbolic)","Sthāvara beings (trees/mountains)","Personified Saṃsāra wheel"],"setting":"Multi-tiered cosmic diagram-like landscape blending heaven, earth, and the rooted stillness of forests; mandala composition.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["deep ultramarine","earth brown","leaf green","bone white","sunlit gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a grand saṃsāra-cakra mandala with gold-leaf spokes; Brahmā enthroned on a lotus at the top segment; lower segments show miniature vignettes of birth and funeral rites; ornate borders, rich reds/greens, embossed gold on the wheel rim and lotus petals, jewel-like highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a poetic cosmic wheel set against a pale Himalayan sky; delicate figures in each realm, refined faces, soft washes; trees and mountains at the base rendered with lyrical naturalism; a subtle shaft of light beyond the wheel suggesting mokṣa.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold circular saṃsāra wheel with thick black outlines; Brahmā in stylized iconography; narrative panels of beings in flat pigments; strong reds, yellows, greens; decorative floral scrolls framing the mandala.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: concentric lotus rings forming the saṃsāra wheel; tiny narrative scenes in each petal; deep blue background with gold and white detailing; peacocks and floral borders; devotional textile intricacy with rhythmic repetition echoing ‘ceaseless turning’."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low drum pulse","temple bell at cadence points","wind through trees","distant conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स्थावरांतोऽयं = स्थावरान्तः अयम्; ह्यनिशं = हि अनिशम्.
FAQs
It emphasizes the universality of saṃsāra: from the highest created being (Brahmā) down to immobile life-forms, all embodied existence is bound to recurring birth and death and the suffering that accompanies them.
It is a comprehensive range-expression, indicating that no level of embodied existence within creation is exempt from the revolving cycle of transmigration.
By recognizing saṃsāra as ceaseless and sorrow-laden, one is encouraged toward detachment (vairāgya) and earnest pursuit of liberation-oriented practices (such as devotion, discernment, and righteous living).