Shloka 74
Qualities of the Five Great Elements; Description of Sudarśana-dvīpa and Mount Meru
पार्श्वे शशस्य द्वे वर्षे उक्ते ये दक्षिणोत्तरे । कर्णे तु नागद्वीपश्च काश्यपद्वीप एव च
pārśve śaśasya dve varṣe ukte ye dakṣiṇottare | karṇe tu nāgadvīpaśca kāśyapadvīpa eva ca
شَش (خرگوش کے نشان) کے دونوں پہلوؤں پر دو ورش (خطّے) کہے گئے ہیں—جنوبی اور شمالی۔ اور اس کے کان پر ناگ دیوِیپ اور اسی طرح کاشیپ دیوِیپ ہیں۔
Unknown (narrative voice not specified in the provided excerpt)
Concept: The cosmos is intelligible through symbolic correspondences; sacred geography can be encoded in divine forms, inviting contemplative vision beyond literalism.
Application: Use sacred symbols (moon, hare, mandala) as meditation supports; study cosmography as a way to cultivate wonder and reduce narrow self-identification.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A giant moon-disc fills the sky, and within it the ‘hare’ silhouette becomes a living map: its flanks labeled as southern and northern varṣas, and its ear marked by two jewel-like islands—Nāgadvīpa and Kāśyapadvīpa. Below, sages point with kuśa-grass pointers at a celestial chart, as if reading a sacred atlas written in moonlight.","primary_figures":["personified Śaśa (lunar hare as emblem)","sages/cosmographers","celestial attendants (optional)"],"setting":"Observatory-like celestial terrace with star instruments, palm-leaf charts, and a vast horizon where the moon appears enormous.","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["indigo","silver","opal white","smoky violet","pale gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: oversized moon-disc with gold leaf rim, the hare-form rendered as a sacred diagram with ornate calligraphic labels for varṣas and dvīpas, sages in bright silk dhotis, heavy gold ornamentation on borders, stylized celestial instruments with gem-like highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: cool night palette, delicate moon wash, fine-lined hare silhouette containing tiny island vignettes, sages seated with manuscripts, subtle landscape gradients and star-speckled sky, refined minimal ornamentation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines of the moon and hare, dvīpa labels as decorative bands, sages in rhythmic poses, flat indigo background with white star dots, traditional mural symmetry and floral corner motifs.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central moon mandala with hare-map, lotus border and creepers, symmetrical island medallions at the ‘ear’, deep blue cloth ground with silver-white detailing and gold accents."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft wind","night birds","page-turning of manuscripts (subtle)","tanpura drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: दक्षिणोत्तरे → दक्षिण-उत्तरे (द्वन्द्व). नागद्वीपश्च → नागद्वीपः च. काश्यपद्वीप एव → काश्यपद्वीपः एव.
FAQs
It reflects Purāṇic cosmography—mythic-sacred mapping of regions (varṣas) and island-continents (dvīpas), using symbolic landmarks such as the ‘Hare’ (Śaśa).
Śaśa literally means “hare.” In Purāṇic descriptions it can function as a named cosmographic figure/marker (a symbolic form used to locate surrounding regions).
Not directly; the verse is primarily descriptive. Its broader religious function is to situate sacred knowledge within an ordered cosmic map, a common Purāṇic way of framing dharma and pilgrimage traditions.