Shloka 45
The Five Narratives (Pañcākhyāna): Desire, Forbearance, Devotion, and Merit of Hearing
दुःस्वप्नं नाशयेत्क्षिप्रं तथारोग्यं प्रयच्छति । लक्ष्म्यारोग्यकरं चैव तस्माच्छ्रोतव्यमेव हि
duḥsvapnaṃ nāśayetkṣipraṃ tathārogyaṃ prayacchati | lakṣmyārogyakaraṃ caiva tasmācchrotavyameva hi
それは悪夢を速やかに滅し、また健康を授ける。福徳と健やかさをもたらすゆえ、まことに聴聞すべきである。
Unspecified (narrative voice within Adhyaya 56; speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)
Concept: Sacred hearing is protective and therapeutic—removing distress (bad dreams) and granting health and prosperity.
Application: Use nightly or morning listening/recitation as a calming ritual; pair with ethical routines and gratitude to stabilize mind and body.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A devotee sleeps peacefully as a small oil lamp burns beside a manuscript; above the bed, dark, tangled dream-forms scatter like smoke as a gentle lotus-halo descends. In the corner, Lakṣmī’s auspicious presence is suggested through falling golden grains and a calm, healing glow around the heart and forehead.","primary_figures":["sleeping devotee","symbolic Lakṣmī presence (aniconic or subtle)","Purāṇika voice as unseen presence"],"setting":"simple home shrine corner with lamp, tulasi pot optional (as household auspiciousness), manuscript on a low stand","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["soft silver","lamp gold","night blue","lotus white","gentle rose"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: interior night scene with a devotee resting near a small shrine; a glowing manuscript and oil lamp radiate gold leaf highlights; shadowy nightmare forms dissolve into ornate floral patterns; subtle Lakṣmī symbols (lotus, gold grains) with rich reds/greens and jewel-like detailing.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: quiet nocturne with cool blues and silvers; delicate lamp flame, refined textiles; dream-clouds painted as soft ink washes dispersing; a faint lotus aura indicating śrī and ārogya, intimate and lyrical.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized bedroom-shrine composition with bold outlines; lamp-lit manuscript as central icon; nightmare motifs as dark serpentine shapes retreating; auspicious lotus and gold tones indicating Lakṣmī’s grace.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: decorative night scene framed by floral borders; central lamp and manuscript, lotus motifs spreading like protective mandala; deep blue ground with gold accents, peacocks subdued, auspicious symbols of śrī and health."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft temple bell (single strikes)","night insects","gentle conch (very distant)","silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नाशयेत्क्षिप्रं → नाशयेत् + क्षिप्रम्; तथारोग्यं → तथा + आरोग्यम्; लक्ष्म्यारोग्यकरं → लक्ष्मी + आरोग्य + करम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘लक्ष्म्याः आरोग्यस्य करम्’); चैव → च + एव; तस्माच्छ्रोतव्यमेव → तस्मात् + श्रोतव्यम् + एव (त् + श् → च्छ्)
FAQs
It recommends śravaṇa—listening/hearing (the sacred narration or text being discussed in the chapter)—as a spiritually efficacious practice.
It claims the removal of inauspicious dreams (duḥsvapna), the gain of health (ārogya), and the attainment of prosperity/fortune (lakṣmī).
The verse emphasizes trust in sacred hearing as a disciplined devotional act: regular listening is presented as both spiritually meritorious and practically auspicious (health and well-being).