Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 18
Vena Episode Conclusion: Pṛthu’s Merit and the Greatness of Hearing the Padma Purāṇa in Kali-yuga
कस्माच्छ्रोष्यंति तत्पुण्यं चतुर्वर्गप्रसाधनम् । येन श्रुतमिदं पुण्यं पुराणं पद्मसंज्ञकम्
kasmācchroṣyaṃti tatpuṇyaṃ caturvargaprasādhanam | yena śrutamidaṃ puṇyaṃ purāṇaṃ padmasaṃjñakam
Pourquoi ne pas écouter ce mérite qui accomplit les quatre buts de la vie? Car en l’entendant, on entend ce saint Purāṇa nommé Padma.
Unspecified in provided excerpt (likely a narrator/teacher voice within the chapter’s dialogue context).
Concept: Śravaṇa of Padma Purāṇa is itself a puṇya-sādhana that supports the four puruṣārthas (dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa).
Application: Make time for daily/weekly listening or reading of Vaiṣṇava Purāṇas; treat attentive hearing as a disciplined practice (niyama) that shapes choices across all life-goals.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene assembly under a banyan tree: a sage holds a palm-leaf manuscript titled ‘Padma’, while listeners lean forward in attentive silence. Above them, four luminous emblems hover—scales (dharma), a sheaf of grain/coins (artha), a blossoming lotus pair (kāma refined), and an open sky-doorway (mokṣa)—showing how hearing integrates life’s aims.","primary_figures":["teaching sage (Pulastya-like)","attentive householders","scribes with palm leaves"],"setting":"forest hermitage lecture space with kusa mats, water pot, and manuscript stand","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","leaf green","lotus pink","sky blue","manuscript brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a seated sage on a carved wooden vyāsapīṭha reading the Padma Purāṇa to householders; gold leaf halos, rich vermilion and emerald textiles, ornate manuscript cover with gem-like dots; four symbolic emblems of puruṣārthas rendered as gilded medallions floating above, traditional South Indian decorative borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate satsang beneath a banyan, delicate faces and soft gestures; the manuscript labeled ‘Padma’ in Devanagari; cool greens and blues with lotus pink accents; distant Himalayan-like hills and a small stream; refined naturalism emphasizing listening and inquiry.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized banyan leaves, the sage with large expressive eyes holding palm leaves; warm yellow ochre background, red and green garments; symbolic puruṣārtha icons in circular panels above; temple-wall composition with rhythmic ornamentation.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central manuscript and lamp on a low altar, surrounded by concentric lotus borders; devotees seated in a semicircle; peacocks and cows at the margins as auspicious witnesses; deep blue ground with gold and white floral filigree; puruṣārtha symbols integrated into the border medallions."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft temple bells","rustling leaves","distant birds"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कस्माच्छ्रोष्यंति = कस्मात् + श्रोष्यन्ति; तत्पुण्यं = तत् + पुण्यम्; श्रुतमिदं = श्रुतम् + इदम्; पद्मसंज्ञकम् = पद्म + संज्ञकम् (समास/तत्पुरुष).
FAQs
It praises listening to the Padma Purāṇa as a highly meritorious act that helps fulfill the four human aims (dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa).
Caturvarga refers to the four classical goals of life in Hindu thought: dharma (duty/ethics), artha (prosperity), kāma (legitimate desire), and mokṣa (liberation).
The verse encourages śravaṇa (reverent listening) to sacred literature, presenting it as a direct means to holistic human flourishing and spiritual progress.