Shloka 54
Qualities of the Five Great Elements; Description of Sudarśana-dvīpa and Mount Meru
तत्र कृष्णा नरा विप्रास्तेजोयुक्ता महाबलाः । स्त्रियश्चोत्पलपत्राभाः सर्वाः सुप्रियदर्शनाः
tatra kṛṣṇā narā viprāstejoyuktā mahābalāḥ | striyaścotpalapatrābhāḥ sarvāḥ supriyadarśanāḥ
ที่นั่น บุรุษพราหมณ์ผิวคล้ำเปี่ยมด้วยรัศมีและกำลังยิ่งใหญ่; ส่วนสตรีทั้งหลายงามดุจกลีบบัว ทุกนางล้วนชวนชมยิ่งนัก
Unspecified narrator (context not provided for this isolated verse)
Concept: Merit refines embodiment: radiance, strength, and auspicious form are portrayed as karmic outcomes, not merely aesthetic accidents.
Application: Cultivate sattva (truthfulness, restraint, devotion) rather than chasing appearance; let character generate ‘tejas’ in conduct.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Type: mountain
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A radiant community stands upon a fragrant mountain terrace: brāhmaṇas of dark hue gleam with inner fire, their posture steady and powerful. Nearby, women appear like living lotus petals—softly luminous, serene-eyed, and harmoniously adorned—turning the landscape into a moving garland of beauty.","primary_figures":["Brāhmaṇas (tejo-yuktāḥ)","Lotus-petal-like women (utpala-patrābhāḥ)"],"setting":"Celestial mountain terrace with flowering lotuses in pools, perfumed breezes, and jeweled pathways","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["deep indigo","lotus pink","warm gold","jade green","ivory"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: group portrait on a lotus-filled terrace, figures with gold leaf halos, rich textile patterns, heavy ornamentation, stylized lotuses and creepers, symmetrical composition emphasizing auspicious beauty and tejas.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: elegant figures with refined profiles, translucent garments, lotus pools rendered with delicate stippling, cool blues and pinks, gentle mountain backdrop, lyrical naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, rhythmic figure arrangement, lotus motifs repeated, saturated reds/yellows/greens with indigo accents, temple-wall compositional balance.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: lotus-petal women integrated with lotus mandala patterns, ornate floral borders, deep blue ground with gold highlights, peacocks near lotus pools, devotional symmetry though scene is cosmographic."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["birds","gentle water ripples","anklet chimes","soft drone (tanpura)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विप्रास्तेजोयुक्ताः = विप्राः + तेजोयुक्ताः (विसर्ग-सन्धि); स्त्रियश्च = स्त्रियः + च; चोत्पलपत्राभाः = च + उत्पलपत्राभाः.
FAQs
The verse gives an idealized description of people “there” (in the referenced locale): men who are brāhmaṇas, radiant and strong, and women whose beauty is compared to lotus petals.
It commonly implies spiritual and vital splendor—an inner radiance associated with merit, purity, and elevated status—often used in descriptions of heavenly or exalted beings.
No. Grammatically it modifies “narāḥ” (men) and means “dark-complexioned,” not the deity Kṛṣṇa.