The Ever New Banyan of Kailash
Bala Kanda, Chaupai 106
Doha 106 · Movement 1 of 2
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Those who turn from Hari and Hara and feel no love for dharma cannot reach this place even in dream. Upon the mountain stands a vast banyan, fresh in every season, cooled by gentle winds and honoured in the Vedas as Shiva's place of rest.
Shambhu comes beneath its canopy, spreads a deer skin with his own hand, and sits naturally in the shade. His body shines like jasmine, moon, and conch. Long arms fall beside a sage's garment, and tender red lotus feet rest upon the earth.
Light from his nails removes darkness from devotees' hearts. Serpents and ash adorn Tripurari, while his face surpasses the clear autumn moon. Stillness gathers around him without making the scene lifeless.
Beneath the deathless banyan, Shiva sits as moonlight given a body.
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AI-created devotional illustration · Chaupai 106
Vast fresh banyan and cool shade before Shiva arrives
Source reference and artistic choices
Gita Press code81 undated · PDF pages 122 · printed pages 120. Reader passage: bala-kanda-chaupai-106. Printed numbering may differ.
Source facts
- On the mountain a vast banyan is ever fresh and beautiful in all times
- Cooling shade and cool/gentle/fragrant breeze; Vedas sing it as Shiva's resting tree
- Image selects tree/shade only before Shiva's later arrival, hide spreading and sitting
Artistic choices
- Thick sculptural trunk/broad canopy/aerial-root columns/stylized broad heart/ovate leaves/root count/age/exact branch geometry/shadow/groundflowers/mountain silhouettes/coral palette imagined; banyan indicated through canopy and rooted aerial columns, no verified botanical specimen or authenticated historical tree/geography claim
- Static airy cool shade suggests breeze, no three literal windgods/streams or personified Vedas, source later Shiva/hide outside scene
An imaginative interpretation, not a historical portrait or documentary evidence.
हरि हर बिमुख धर्म रति नाहीं। ते नर तहँ सपनेहुँ नहिं जाहीं।। तेहि गिरि पर बट बिटप बिसाला। नित नूतन सुंदर सब काला।। त्रिबिध समीर सुसीतलि छाया। सिव बिश्राम बिटप श्रुति गाया।। एक बार तेहि तर प्रभु गयऊ। तरु बिलोकि उर अति सुखु भयऊ।। निज कर डासि नागरिपु छाला। बैठै सहजहिं संभु कृपाला।। कुंद इंदु दर गौर सरीरा। भुज प्रलंब परिधन मुनिचीरा।। तरुन अरुन अंबुज सम चरना। नख दुति भगत हृदय तम हरना।। भुजग भूति भूषन त्रिपुरारी। आननु सरद चंद छबि हारी।।
Those who turn away from Hari and Hara and have no love for dharma cannot reach that place even in dreams. On that mountain stands a vast banyan tree, ever new and beautiful through all seasons.