Shloka 4
Śravaṇa-Mahātmya: The Śravaṇas, Cosmic Testimony, and the Paths of the Puruṣārthas
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच / शृणुष्व वचनं सत्यं सर्वेषां सौख्यदायकम् / तदहं कथयिष्यामि श्रवणानां विचेष्टितम्
śrīkṛṣṇa uvāca / śṛṇuṣva vacanaṃ satyaṃ sarveṣāṃ saukhyadāyakam / tadahaṃ kathayiṣyāmi śravaṇānāṃ viceṣṭitam
Śrī Kṛṣṇa bersabda: “Dengarlah kata-kata yang benar ini, yang membawa kesejahteraan bagi semua. Kini Aku akan menerangkan tata laku dan disiplin yang tepat dalam mendengar ajaran suci (śravaṇa).”
Śrī Kṛṣṇa (as the teacher/narrator in this passage)
Concept: Śravaṇa (sacred listening) as a regulated discipline that yields welfare (saukhyadāyaka) for all.
Vedantic Theme: Śabda-pramāṇa and śravaṇa as the first limb toward realization; purification of antaḥkaraṇa through hearing truth.
Application: Establish a daily/weekly practice of listening to śāstra or nāma-kathā with attention, ethical preparation, and consistency.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Related Themes: Garuda Purana: recurring emphasis on hearing (śravaṇa) and recitation as meritorious acts in dharma/śrāddha contexts
FAQs
This verse frames śravaṇa as a truth-bearing discipline that benefits everyone, introducing it as a foundational practice for receiving dharmic and afterlife-related teachings correctly.
By emphasizing disciplined listening, the text prepares the listener to accurately understand subsequent instructions—often including rites, ethical duties, and post-death realities—without distortion or neglect.
Approach spiritual teachings with attentive, sincere listening—prioritizing truthful instruction—so that practice becomes steady, beneficial, and ethically aligned.