Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 22
Yayāti Episode: Indra’s Anxiety, the Messenger Motif, and a Discourse on Time (Kāla) and Karma
नरो नैव प्रसूतो हि नोत्पत्स्यति भवादृशः । भवंतमित्यहं जाने सर्वधर्मप्रभाकरम्
naro naiva prasūto hi notpatsyati bhavādṛśaḥ | bhavaṃtamityahaṃ jāne sarvadharmaprabhākaram
Truly, no man like you has ever been born, nor will one like you be born again. I recognize you as the illuminator of all dharmas.
Unspecified (context-dependent praise addressed to a revered interlocutor)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नैव = न + एव; नोत्पत्स्यति = न + उत्पत्स्यति; भवंतमित्यहं = भवन्तम् + इति + अहम्; सर्वधर्मप्रभाकरम् = सर्व + धर्म + प्रभाकर (समास).
FAQs
The verse addresses an exemplary person directly (“you”), praising them as a unique embodiment and revealer of dharma; the specific identity depends on the surrounding chapter’s dialogue.
It elevates dharma as the highest standard of human excellence and portrays the ideal person as one who clarifies, exemplifies, and guides others in righteous conduct.
It uses formal eulogy to establish the authority of the addressed speaker/teacher, preparing the listener to accept subsequent instruction on dharma as trustworthy and luminous.