Shloka 109
Merit of Causeways and Crossings, Temple Construction Rewards, and the Rudrākṣa Mahātmya
नृपाणामीश्वराणां च धनिनां गुणिनां पुरः । पठित्वा मोक्षमाप्नोति श्रवणात्तत्फलं लभेत्
nṛpāṇāmīśvarāṇāṃ ca dhanināṃ guṇināṃ puraḥ | paṭhitvā mokṣamāpnoti śravaṇāttatphalaṃ labhet
By reciting this in the presence of kings, rulers, the wealthy, and the virtuous, one attains liberation; and by merely hearing it, one gains the very same fruit.
Unspecified (narratorial injunction within the Adhyaya context)
Concept: Śravaṇa alone can confer the same fruit as pāṭha—Purāṇic grace democratizes liberation beyond ritual complexity.
Application: Listen attentively to sacred recitations (in person or recordings) with reverence; create opportunities for others to hear; treat listening as sādhana, not passive entertainment.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A public recitation unfolds before kings and nobles, but the camera lingers on ordinary listeners at the edge—servants, merchants, travelers—whose faces soften as the words land. A faint, luminous path rises behind them, symbolizing that mere hearing can open mokṣa.","primary_figures":["Purāṇa reciter","kings and rulers","wealthy patrons","virtuous elders","common listeners (śrotāraḥ)"],"setting":"open-pillared court with audience tiers, manuscript stand, flower offerings, guards at the periphery","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sunrise gold","royal purple","ivory white","copper bronze","lapis blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: courtly recitation scene with gold leaf emphasis on the manuscript and the sound-wave aura, kings seated with crowns, common listeners behind, rich reds/greens, ornate jewelry, symmetrical pillars, divine glow suggesting mokṣa granted even by hearing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: layered audience composition, delicate expressions showing transformation through listening, soft dawn sky beyond palace arches, refined textiles, subtle luminous trail rising upward, cool mountain-like blues balancing warm gold.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: narrative panel with reciter centered, rulers and wealthy patrons on one side, common listeners on the other, bold outlines, stylized sound-rings around the mouth, red/yellow/green palette, a vertical mokṣa-path motif like a temple mural register.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: ornate border of lotuses and creepers, deep blue ground with gold, assembly arranged in concentric circles like a mandala of listeners, shankha-chakra motifs in corners, peacocks perched on balustrades, emphasis on śravaṇa as grace."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["audience hush","page/palm-leaf rustle","temple bell in distance","conch shell (opening)","soft tambura drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नृपाणाम्+ईश्वराणाम्→नृपाणामीश्वराणाम्; मोक्षम्+आप्नोति→मोक्षमाप्नोति; श्रवणात्+तत्+फलम्→श्रवणात्तत्फलं; तत्+फलम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)→तत्फलम्
FAQs
The verse praises pāṭha (recitation/reading) and śravaṇa (hearing) of the sacred text, stating that both can yield the same spiritual result.
It highlights public, socially prominent settings—implying wider dissemination, honor to dharma, and the encouragement of others—while asserting that the act remains spiritually potent.
Sincere engagement with sacred teachings—whether by reciting or even listening attentively—is presented as transformative, culminating in the highest goal, mokṣa.