Shloka 26
Teaching on Karma-yoga
Discipline of Action as Worship
व्यत्यस्तपाणिना कार्यं पादसंग्रहणं गुरोः । सव्येन सव्यः स्प्रष्टव्यो दक्षिणेन तु दक्षिणः
vyatyastapāṇinā kāryaṃ pādasaṃgrahaṇaṃ guroḥ | savyena savyaḥ spraṣṭavyo dakṣiṇena tu dakṣiṇaḥ
ഗുരുവിന്റെ പാദഗ്രഹണം കൈകൾ ക്രമംമാറ്റി (ക്രോസ് ചെയ്ത്) ചെയ്യണം; ഇടങ്കൈ കൊണ്ട് ഇടപ്പാദവും വലങ്കൈ കൊണ്ട് വലപ്പാദവും സ്പർശിക്കണം।
Unspecified (contextual narrator/instructor within the Svargakhaṇḍa’s didactic passage)
Concept: Correct bodily protocol in guru-vandana—crossed hands touching corresponding feet—expresses disciplined reverence and preserves sacred order.
Application: Show respect to teachers/elders with mindful gestures; let physical discipline train mental humility; keep reverence precise rather than casual.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A disciple kneels before the seated guru, hands crossed in a precise gesture as he clasps the guru’s feet—left to left, right to right—like aligning himself with a sacred current. The guru’s calm gaze and the stillness of the āśrama make the act feel like a ritual of transmission.","primary_figures":["guru (ācārya)","disciple","other śiṣyas"],"setting":"āśrama interior with kusa mats, low wooden seat, water pot, hanging garlands, palm-leaf manuscripts stacked neatly","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["sandalwood cream","saffron","emerald green","lapis blue","antique gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central guru figure with gold leaf halo, disciple at his feet with crossed hands in exact alignment; rich red-green textiles, ornate arch frame, gem-studded jewelry on the guru, manuscript and kamandalu rendered with metallic highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate devotional gesture with delicate hands and refined faces; soft interior light, cool greens and blues, detailed manuscript textures, a quiet forest glimpse through a doorway.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized guru and disciple with bold outlines; emphasis on hand-foot alignment; warm yellow background with red and green garments, temple-wall composition with decorative bands.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional vignette framed by lotus creepers; peacocks and floral borders; deep indigo ground with gold detailing, presenting guru-vandana as a sacred ceremony akin to temple worship."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft bell","low hum of mantra","crackling lamp wick","rustle of kusa grass","distant flowing water"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पादसंग्रहणं = पाद + संग्रहणम्; (no major external sandhi besides standard word-joining in pāda).
FAQs
It prescribes the proper method of touching and clasping the Guru’s feet—using crossed hands so that the left hand touches the left foot and the right hand touches the right foot.
It emphasizes humility, reverence, and disciplined conduct (sadācāra) in approaching one’s teacher, treating respect as a carefully observed dharmic practice.
As an encyclopedic Purāṇa, the Padma Purana frequently teaches dharma through practical rules of conduct; this verse contributes to the tradition of guru-sevā (service and reverence to the teacher) as a foundation for spiritual learning.