Shloka 25
The Destruction of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice
विद्याधरा भूतसंघा वेताला यक्षराक्षसाः । पिशाचाश्चोग्रकर्माणस्तथान्ये जीवहारकाः
vidyādharā bhūtasaṃghā vetālā yakṣarākṣasāḥ | piśācāścograkarmāṇastathānye jīvahārakāḥ
เหล่าวิทยาธร หมู่ภูต เวตาล ยักษ์และรากษส รวมทั้งปิศาจผู้กระทำการดุร้าย—และสรรพสัตว์อื่นผู้พรากชีวิต—ก็ปรากฏอยู่ ณ ที่นั้น
Narrator/primary speaker not specified in the provided excerpt (context needed from surrounding verses).
Concept: Creation includes all strata of beings—benign and fearsome—within Brahmā’s ordered manifestation under the Supreme’s governance.
Application: Cultivate steadiness and discernment: do not panic at the ‘dark’ aspects of life; respond with dharma, mantra-smaraṇa, and protective sāttvika conduct.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vast twilight expanse of the newly-manifest world where luminous Vidyādharas hover above, while below a swirling host of bhūtas, Vetālas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, and Piśācas emerge from mist and cremation-ground shadows—yet all are framed within a cosmic order. In the far background, a faint lotus-throne silhouette suggests Brahmā’s creative presence, implying that even the fearsome are woven into the tapestry of sṛṣṭi.","primary_figures":["Vidyādharas","Bhūta-saṅgha","Vetālas","Yakṣas","Rākṣasas","Piśācas","Brahmā (distant, implied)"],"setting":"Liminal creational landscape blending forest edge and śmaśāna-like ground with drifting fog, distant cosmic lotus motif, and a horizon of forming worlds.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["indigo black","ash gray","smoky violet","pale moon-silver","ember red"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a cosmic tableau where a distant Brahmā on a lotus-throne presides over the emergence of Vidyādharas above and fierce bhūta-gaṇas below; heavy gold leaf halos around celestial beings, rich crimson and emerald accents on ornaments, stylized demon faces with traditional iconographic symmetry, gem-studded borders, ornate floral scrollwork framing the scene.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: twilight forest-and-cremation-ground liminality with delicate brushwork; Vidyādharas rendered with refined faces and translucent scarves, while yakṣa-rākṣasa-piśāca figures appear in subdued, lyrical menace; cool indigo and smoky violet washes, fine line detailing, distant lotus motif on the horizon, atmospheric mist layers.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and flat natural pigments; dramatic moonlit background with stylized bhūtas and vetālas in rhythmic procession, yakṣas and rākṣasas with characteristic eyes and ornamentation; a small but radiant lotus-throne emblem of Brahmā in the upper register; dominant reds, yellows, greens with deep blue-black ground.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a symbolic composition where the lower register shows shadowy bhūta-gaṇas and the upper register shows celestial Vidyādharas; intricate floral borders with lotus motifs; deep blues and gold; include subtle Viṣṇu-lotus symbolism in the border medallions to suggest cosmic order over chaos."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low temple bell","distant conch shell","wind through trees","faint drum (mridanga) pulse","silence between lines"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पिशाचाश्चोग्रकर्माणस् = पिशाचाः + च + उग्रकर्माणः; तथान्ये = तथा + अन्ये.
FAQs
The verse enumerates classes of supernatural beings—Vidyādharas, bhūtas, Vetālas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, and Piśācas—commonly used in Purāṇic literature to describe non-human or liminal entities associated with the unseen world.
Not explicitly in this single line; it functions primarily as a descriptive catalog. Ethical or devotional application depends on the surrounding narrative context (e.g., what event these beings are connected to and what conduct is being praised or warned against).
In the creation-oriented Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa, catalogs of beings help map the Purāṇic cosmos—showing the diversity of created life-forms, including fearsome or harmful categories (jīva-hārakāḥ) that represent disorder, danger, or adharma within the world.