Shloka 2
Account of the Ripening of Karma
Childlessness, Offspring, and Remedial Dharma
सूत उवाच । एतत्पृष्टः पुरा ब्रह्मा नारदेन महात्मना । स यदाह तदा तं च शृणुष्व मुनिपुंगव
sūta uvāca | etatpṛṣṭaḥ purā brahmā nāradena mahātmanā | sa yadāha tadā taṃ ca śṛṇuṣva munipuṃgava
スータは言った。「この問いは昔、偉大なる魂ナーラダによってブラフマーに問われた。ゆえに聞きなさい、ムニの中の最勝者よ、そのとき彼が語った言葉を。」
Sūta
Concept: Dharma is preserved through faithful listening to an authorized lineage of teachers; questions become sanctified when placed before realized knowers.
Application: Seek answers to life’s moral questions from reliable sources; cultivate śravaṇa (attentive listening) before acting or judging.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a forest hermitage assembly, Sūta sits slightly elevated on a kusa-grass seat, right hand raised in gentle instruction, as rishis lean forward in attentive silence. Behind him, a subtle visionary vignette appears like a haloed memory: Brahmā on a lotus-seat being questioned by Nārada, indicating the ancient origin of the teaching.","primary_figures":["Sūta","forest rishis (muni-puṅgavas)","Brahmā (visionary inset)","Nārada (visionary inset)"],"setting":"Naimiṣāraṇya-style sacrificial grove with yajña-kuṇḍa, deer, peepal trees, palm-leaf manuscripts, and water pot (kamaṇḍalu).","lighting_mood":"forest dappled with a soft divine radiance around the inset vision","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","leaf green","smoke gray","lotus pink","antique gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Sūta in the foreground addressing seated rishis, ornate aureole behind his head, gold leaf embellishment on borders and halos; a smaller inset panel shows Brahmā on a lotus with Nārada holding vīṇā, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments, traditional South Indian iconography, symmetrical composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a serene hermitage scene with delicate brushwork, rishis in white garments, Sūta gesturing; in the sky-like margin a lyrical inset of Brahmā on a pink lotus and Nārada with vīṇā, cool natural palette, refined faces, Himalayan foothill trees and a winding stream.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, warm ochres and greens; Sūta seated near a yajña-kuṇḍa, rishis in attentive semicircle; stylized inset of Brahmā and Nārada with characteristic large eyes, temple-wall aesthetic, flat yet majestic forms.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional narrative tableau framed by intricate floral borders and lotus motifs; Sūta and rishis on the lower register, upper register shows Brahmā on lotus and Nārada with vīṇā amid stylized clouds; deep blues and gold accents, ornate textile-like detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft drone (tanpura)","rustling leaves","distant sacrificial fire crackle","occasional temple bell"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सूत उवाच→सूतः उवाच; एतत्पृष्टः→एतत् पृष्टः; यदाह→यत् आह; मुनिपुंगव→मुनिपुङ्गव (अनुस्वार/ङ्-परिवर्तन)
FAQs
It frames the teaching as an earlier dialogue between Brahmā and Nārada, establishing a lineage of transmission (Sūta reporting what Brahmā once told Nārada).
“Munipuṅgava” means “best among sages” and refers to the immediate listener within the dialogue context (the sage to whom Sūta is narrating).
It emphasizes attentive listening (śravaṇa) and respect for authoritative transmission, presenting the teaching as preserved through revered teachers and sages.