Shloka 13
The Greatness of Viṣṇu’s Foot-Water (Pādodaka) as a Destroyer of Sin
शौनक उवाच । स्पृष्ट्वा पीत्वा पुरा केन प्राणिना प्रापि वै गृहम् । कथयस्व हरेः सूत मम त्वं चानुकंपया
śaunaka uvāca | spṛṣṭvā pītvā purā kena prāṇinā prāpi vai gṛham | kathayasva hareḥ sūta mama tvaṃ cānukaṃpayā
Śaunaka dijo: «Antaño, ¿por qué ser viviente fue tocada y bebida, y así alcanzó verdaderamente tu morada? Oh Sūta, cuéntame—por compasión—este relato relacionado con Hari».
Śaunaka
Concept: Śravaṇa (devotional listening) and kathā-prārthanā: requesting Hari-kathā with humility is itself a bhakti-act that opens the door to transformative examples.
Application: Ask for and listen to sacred stories regularly; let curiosity be guided by reverence and a desire for inner change, not mere spectacle.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a forest hermitage assembly, Śaunaka sits among sages with matted locks and deer-skins, palms joined, eyes intent. Before them, Sūta stands with a manuscript-leaf bundle, ready to narrate the ancient account of the being who touched and drank Hari’s pādodaka and attained the divine abode.","primary_figures":["Śaunaka","Sūta","assembled ṛṣis"],"setting":"Naimiṣāraṇya-like forest āśrama with sacrificial fire, kusa grass seats, and a calm river glimpsed through trees.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["earth brown","sage green","smoke gray","sunlit amber","cream"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Sūta as central narrator with gold halo-like aura of wisdom; Śaunaka and ṛṣis seated around a yajña-kuṇḍa; ornate borders, gold leaf highlights on fire and ornaments, rich reds/greens, stylized forest backdrop with temple-like arch framing the discourse.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: quiet forest symposium with delicate trees and a small yajña fire; Śaunaka’s refined expression of inquiry; Sūta holding palm-leaf text; cool greens and soft browns, lyrical naturalism, gentle light filtering through leaves.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: symmetrical assembly around the sacrificial fire; bold outlines, stylized faces and eyes; Sūta gesturing in teaching mudrā; warm reds/yellows/greens with dark hair and ornaments; decorative floral borders like temple murals.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative discourse framed by ornate floral borders; central yajña fire as lotus-like motif; sages arranged in rhythmic pattern; deep earthy background with gold highlights, peacocks at corners, devotional textile aesthetic even in a sage-assembly scene."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["crackling sacrificial fire","forest birds","soft hand cymbals","page-leaf rustle","tanpura drone"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: हरेर्गृहम् = हरेः गृहम्; चानुकंपया = च अनुकम्पया
FAQs
Śaunaka is speaking, addressing Sūta (the narrator) and requesting a compassionate explanation of an account related to Hari (Viṣṇu).
He asks who, in the past, touched and drank (something implied by the prior context) and thereby attained the narrator’s “home/abode,” and he requests the full narration connected with Hari.
The verse models humble inquiry and reverent listening (śravaṇa) to Vaiṣṇava narration—seeking understanding “with compassion,” i.e., through a teacher’s gracious instruction rather than argument.