Shloka 13
Qualities of the Five Great Elements; Description of Sudarśana-dvīpa and Mount Meru
परिमंडलो महाभागा द्वीपोऽसौ चक्रसंस्थितः । नदीजलपरिच्छिन्नः पर्वतैश्चाब्धिसन्निभैः
parimaṃḍalo mahābhāgā dvīpo'sau cakrasaṃsthitaḥ | nadījalaparicchinnaḥ parvataiścābdhisannibhaiḥ
Hỡi bậc đại phúc, châu đảo ấy tròn đầy như vành bánh xe, an lập như một luân. Nó được bao bọc bởi nước sông và bởi những dãy núi mênh mông tựa biển cả.
Unspecified (narratorial description within Svarga-khaṇḍa dialogue context)
Concept: Cosmic structure is portrayed as orderly and purposeful; boundaries (rivers, mountains) symbolize restraint and stability that sustain prosperity and life.
Application: Cultivate ‘cakra-like’ discipline—clear limits, steady routines, and protective boundaries for senses and time.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: celestial_realm
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A grand circular island is shown from a celestial vantage, laid out like a wheel with concentric rings. Glittering rivers form a luminous border, while colossal blue-black mountains rise like ocean-waves turned to stone, enclosing the land in a sacred geometry.","primary_figures":["personified river-deities (optional)","mountain guardians (optional)"],"setting":"aerial cosmographic panorama of Sudarśana-dvīpa with ringed rivers and towering mountain rim","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["lapis lazuli","sea-green","sun-gold","basalt blue","cloud white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: top-down circular Sudarśana-dvīpa like a jeweled wheel, gold leaf outlining concentric rings, stylized rivers as silver-blue bands, mountains as dark sapphire ridges with gilded highlights, ornate floral borders and temple-like symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical circular landscape with delicate river lines and softly shaded mountains, cool blues and greens, fine stippling for water sparkle, thin gold accents tracing the wheel-form, airy clouds framing the mandala-like island.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined circular continent, flat yet vibrant color blocks for rivers and mountains, rhythmic patterns suggesting waves and ridges, traditional mural ornamentation around the rim, strong reds/yellows balancing deep blues.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: mandala-like wheel island with lotus-petal borders, intricate floral filigree, deep indigo background, gold and white detailing for rivers, peacocks and stylized vines at corners, devotional symmetry as if a cosmic yantra."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["flowing water","wind over peaks","soft cymbals","tanpura drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: द्वीपोऽसौ = द्वीपः + असौ; चक्रसंस्थितः = चक्र + संस्थितः; नदीजलपरिच्छिन्नः = नदी + जल + परिच्छिन्नः; पर्वतैश्चाब्धिसन्निभैः = पर्वतैः + च + अब्धिसन्निभैः.
FAQs
It describes a dvīpa (island-continent) as circular and wheel-like in arrangement, bounded by river-waters and massive mountains—typical Purāṇic cosmographic imagery.
The language aligns with Purāṇic cosmology (dvīpas and cosmic boundaries) rather than a single identifiable modern geographic site, though such descriptions often inform later sacred-geography traditions.
This verse is primarily descriptive (cosmography) rather than directly ethical; its implied lesson is reverence for the ordered structure of creation as presented in Purāṇic teaching.