Shloka 29
Invocation and the Naimiṣa Assembly: Sūta’s Arrival and the Request to Recount the Padma Purāṇa
सर्वतीर्थाभिषेकं च लभते शृणुते हि यः । श्रद्धया परया भक्त्या श्रुतमात्रेण मुक्तिदः
sarvatīrthābhiṣekaṃ ca labhate śṛṇute hi yaḥ | śraddhayā parayā bhaktyā śrutamātreṇa muktidaḥ
പരമശ്രദ്ധയും ഭക്തിയുംകൊണ്ട് ഇത് ശ്രവിക്കുന്നവൻ സർവ്വതീർത്ഥസ്നാനഫലം പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു; ശ്രവണമാത്രംകൊണ്ടുതന്നെ ഇത് മോക്ഷദായകമാകുന്നു।
Unspecified (contextual narrator within Svarga-khaṇḍa dialogue)
Concept: Śravaṇa with śraddhā and parā-bhakti grants the aggregate merit of all pilgrim-baths and becomes mokṣa-prada.
Application: Set a daily practice of listening/reading a small portion with focused faith; treat hearing as a tīrtha-visit when travel is impossible; pair with simple ācamana and mental offering to Nārāyaṇa.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: tirtha
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A circle of sages sits on a celestial riverbank where countless tīrthas appear as shimmering reflections in one sacred lotus. From the lotus rises a radiant manuscript of the Padma Purāṇa, and as it is heard, streams of light flow into the listeners like purifying bathwater, dissolving dark karmic smoke into clear sky.","primary_figures":["Sūta (as archetypal reciter)","assembled ṛṣis and disciples","Vishnu (subtle presence as divine radiance)"],"setting":"Celestial tīrtha-confluence suggested by symbolic rivers, lotus ponds, and a small yajña-vedī; palm-leaf manuscript on a wooden stand.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sapphire blue","lotus pink","gold leaf","pearl white","emerald green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Sūta seated on a carved wooden āsana holding a palm-leaf manuscript, sages in semicircle with añjali-mudrā, a giant lotus behind them containing miniature icons of many tīrthas, Vishnu’s aura as a golden prabhāmaṇḍala; heavy gold leaf embellishment on halos, borders, and manuscript stand, rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a serene riverside āśrama with delicate willows and distant blue hills, sages and young disciples listening to the reciter, a luminous lotus hovering above the water showing tiny vignettes of famous tīrthas; cool mountain palette, fine brushwork, lyrical naturalism, refined faces, soft atmospheric perspective.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, warm ochres and greens, Sūta as central narrator with expressive eyes, sages in rhythmic rows, a stylized lotus mandala containing tīrtha symbols, Vishnu’s presence as a golden aura; temple-wall aesthetic with red/yellow/green dominance and ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a grand lotus pond filled with repeating lotus motifs and floral borders, central sacred lotus bearing a manuscript, peacocks and swans at the edges, subtle Vishnu symbols (śaṅkha-cakra) in the border medallions; deep blues and gold, intricate Nathdwara-style ornamentation, devotional symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["temple bells","conch shell","flowing water","soft drone (tanpura)","silence between verses"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सर्व+तीर्थ+अभिषेकम् → सर्वतीर्थाभिषेकं; श्रुत+मात्रेण → श्रुतमात्रेण.
FAQs
It states that hearing the sacred account with deep faith and devotion yields the same merit as bathing at all pilgrimage sites, emphasizing inner receptivity over physical travel.
The promised fruit is tied to śraddhā (faith) and parā-bhakti (supreme devotion), showing that devotional attitude is what makes śravaṇa (hearing) spiritually transformative.
It encourages sincere listening and devotion as accessible spiritual practice, suggesting that consistent reverent engagement with sacred teachings can lead toward purification and liberation.