Shloka 3
Yayāti’s Summons to Heaven and the Teaching on Old Age, the Five-Element Body, and Self–Body Discernment
सुकर्मोवाच । श्रूयतामभिधास्यामि चरित्रं पापनाशनम् । नहुषस्य सुपुण्यस्य ययातेश्च महात्मनः
sukarmovāca | śrūyatāmabhidhāsyāmi caritraṃ pāpanāśanam | nahuṣasya supuṇyasya yayāteśca mahātmanaḥ
Sukarma sprach: „Hört; ich werde eine Sünde vernichtende Erzählung darlegen: die Geschichte des hochverdienstvollen Nahuṣa und des großherzigen Yayāti.“
Sukarma
Concept: Śravaṇa of dharmic royal exemplars functions as pāpa-kṣaya and moral reorientation.
Application: Keep a daily practice of listening/reading one purāṇic episode with the intention of self-correction (niyama) and humility.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A learned narrator-sage (Sukarma) sits on a kusa-grass seat in a forest hermitage, raising his hand in invitation as disciples lean forward in attentive silence. Behind him, palm-leaf manuscripts and a small Viṣṇu altar with a lamp suggest that the coming royal tale is meant to cleanse sin through listening.","primary_figures":["Sukarma","listening sages/disciples","symbolic presence of Vishnu (altar icon)"],"setting":"Forest āśrama with sacrificial fire, palm-leaf texts, Tulasi pot near a small shrine","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","smoke gray","lamp-flame gold","leaf green","vermillion red"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Sukarma seated on a decorated wooden pīṭha beside a small Viṣṇu shrine, gold leaf halo around the sage, rich red and emerald textiles, gem-studded ornaments on the shrine, stylized lotuses framing the border, sacred lamp glow emphasizing the ‘pāpa-nāśana kathā’ moment.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet Himalayan-forest hermitage scene with Sukarma gesturing gently, disciples in soft pastel garments, delicate brushwork on leaves and bark, cool greens and muted blues, lyrical naturalism, refined faces, a small shrine with a tiny golden lamp.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, Sukarma with large expressive eyes and ochre skin tones, red-yellow-green palette, a stylized Tulasi pot and lamp near a Viṣṇu icon, temple-wall aesthetic with ornamental floral bands.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative panel of a kathā-sabhā with lotus motifs and ornate floral borders, deep indigo background, golden lamp clusters, peacocks at the edges, a small central Viṣṇu emblem suggesting the kathā’s devotional aim."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","crackling sacrificial fire","evening insects","brief conch prelude"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सुकर्मोवाच = सुकर्मा + उवाच; श्रूयतामभिधास्यामि = श्रूयताम् + अभिधास्यामि; ययातेश्च = ययातेः + च
FAQs
The verse frames the forthcoming account as spiritually purifying: attentive hearing of dhārmic histories (caritra) is presented as a means to reduce moral impurity and cultivate merit.
They are renowned royal figures in Purāṇic genealogy; here they are introduced as exemplars whose life-stories will be recounted for ethical and spiritual instruction.
It implies that śravaṇa (reverent listening) to instructive sacred narratives is itself a disciplined practice that supports dharma by shaping understanding, memory, and conduct.