Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 13
The Cyavana Narrative
within the Glory of Guru-tīrtha, in the Vena Episode
बहुश्रेयः समायुक्तं चरित्रं च्यवनस्य च । इदं पुण्यं नरश्रेष्ठ आख्यानं पापनाशनम्
bahuśreyaḥ samāyuktaṃ caritraṃ cyavanasya ca | idaṃ puṇyaṃ naraśreṣṭha ākhyānaṃ pāpanāśanam
हे नरश्रेष्ठ! अनेक कल्याणांनी युक्त असे हे च्यवनाचे चरित्र आहे। हे पुण्य आख्यान पापांचा नाश करणारे आहे।
Unspecified narrator (contextual speaker not provided in the input excerpt)
Concept: Śravaṇa (devout listening) to a holy Vaiṣṇava ākhyāna is itself a sin-destroying purifier and a source of multi-fold welfare (bahu-śreyas).
Application: Make daily time for listening/reading sacred narratives with attention and faith; treat kathā as a sādhana, not mere entertainment.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage-narrator sits on a kusa-grass seat beneath a flowering aśvattha, holding a palm-leaf manuscript, while attentive listeners lean forward in devotion. Behind them, a subtle vision of Cyavana’s tapas and sanctity appears like a translucent vignette, suggesting the sin-destroying power of the tale itself.","primary_figures":["Sage-narrator (Purāṇika)","Cyavana (visionary vignette)","Devotee-listeners"],"setting":"Forest hermitage near a tīrtha-ghāṭa, with a small fire-altar, water pot, and manuscript stand","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","lotus pink","saffron gold","deep indigo","leaf green"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a seated Purāṇika-sage reciting from a palm-leaf manuscript to kneeling devotees, with a radiant halo and gold-leaf aura; a small inset vision of Cyavana in austerity; rich vermilion and emerald textiles, gem-studded ornaments on attendants, ornate arch framing, gold leaf embellishment emphasizing the words ‘pāpa-nāśana’.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: delicate sage under a flowering tree, listeners in soft profiles, a riverbank hermitage hinted in the background; cool greens and blues, lyrical naturalism, refined faces, a faint misty vignette of Cyavana’s tapas floating above like a cloud-thought.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, warm red-yellow-green pigments; the narrator-sage with large expressive eyes, manuscript in hand, sacred fire and kalasha beside; a stylized aura behind Cyavana’s ascetic figure in the upper register, temple-wall aesthetic.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional assembly framed by intricate floral borders and lotus motifs; peacocks at the edges, a sanctified ghāṭa in the background; deep blues and gold accents, the narrative power symbolized by a lotus emerging near the manuscript stand."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","crackling sacrificial fire","distant flowing water","evening insects"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: बहुश्रेयः = बहु + श्रेयः (विसर्ग-सन्धि/रूप); नरश्रेष्ठ (नर-श्रेष्ठ) तत्पुरुष; पापनाशनम् = पाप + नाशनम्
FAQs
Cyavana is a revered ṛṣi (sage) whose life-story (caritra) is presented as a meritorious narrative, traditionally associated with spiritual benefit and moral instruction.
It describes the account as puṇya (holy/meritorious) and pāpanāśana (destroyer of sins), implying spiritual purification through hearing or reciting it.
The phrase highlights that the narrative is ‘endowed with many forms of śreyas’—well-being and higher good—suggesting it offers layered benefits: moral uplift, spiritual merit, and guidance toward righteous living.