Shloka 83
The Destruction of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice
धूम्रोग्राय विरूपाय यज्वने घोररूपिणे । विरूपाक्षाशुभाक्षाय सहस्राक्षाय वै नमः
dhūmrogrāya virūpāya yajvane ghorarūpiṇe | virūpākṣāśubhākṣāya sahasrākṣāya vai namaḥ
دھواں رنگ اور ہیبت ناک رب کو نمسکار؛ بے ڈھنگے روپ والے کو؛ یَجْن کرنے والے کو؛ ہولناک صورت والے کو۔ بگڑی اور اَشُبھ آنکھوں والے کو، اور سہسر نَیتر رب کو پرنام۔
Unspecified (a hymn-like salutation within the narrative context of Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa)
Concept: The divine includes the frightening and the formless; devotion does not demand comfort—reverence can face the terrible as sacred.
Application: Acknowledge the ‘ugra’ realities (death, impermanence, consequences) without denial; let that awareness refine conduct and deepen prayer.
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A smoke-wreathed Rudra emerges from a swirling dusk, his form both misshapen and majestic, as if the cosmos cannot fully contain his outline. His eyes appear multiple—some distorted, some all-seeing—suggesting a thousand-eyed vigilance that terrifies ignorance yet protects the sincere.","primary_figures":["Rudra/Śiva (ugra aspect)"],"setting":"Cremation-ground threshold with drifting ash, skeletal trees, and a distant sacrificial fire reduced to smoldering coals; the sky is heavy with smoke and stars.","lighting_mood":"moonlit through smoke, ominous glow","color_palette":["charcoal black","smoke gray","bone white","blood red","cold moon-silver"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Ugra Rudra framed by a heavy gold leaf halo cutting through smoky layers, dramatic eyes emphasized, ash and ember motifs at the base, rich crimson-black contrast, ornate borders and prabhāmaṇḍala, iconographic intensity with gem-like highlights on rudrākṣa.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: A lyrical yet unsettling scene—Rudra half-veiled in smoke under a pale moon, delicate brushwork for ash and mist, restrained reds, refined facial rendering with uncanny eyes, sparse cremation-ground trees, subtle terror conveyed through composition.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Fierce Rudra with bold outlines and exaggerated eyes, smoke bands as stylized curls, strong red and black accents, ash-white body, temple-wall flatness that heightens symbolic dread, minimal background elements for focus.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Central fierce Rudra surrounded by swirling smoke patterns turned into decorative spirals, border of flame-and-lotus motifs, deep black-blue ground with silver and gold detailing, symmetrical composition that transforms terror into sacred ornament."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"emotional","sound_elements":["low drum (mridang/damaru)","wind","crackling embers","distant jackal call (very subtle)","sudden silence at line ends"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: धूम्रोग्राय = धूम्र-उग्राय; विरूपाक्षाशुभाक्षाय = विरूपाक्ष + अशुभाक्षाय (द्वन्द्व-समास, दीर्घ-सन्धि); सहस्राक्षाय = सहस्र-अक्षाय
FAQs
Purāṇic hymns often include both auspicious and fearsome names to acknowledge the deity’s totality—protector and destroyer—whose terrifying aspects dissolve evil and ignorance.
“Sahasrākṣa” is a traditional epithet meaning all-seeing; depending on context it can indicate a deity like Indra or an all-pervading divine form. Here it functions primarily as an omniscience marker within a salutation.
The verse models reverence even toward the frightening dimensions of reality, teaching surrender (namas) and humility before the divine power that governs both creation and dissolution.