Shloka 35
Pitāmaha-sabhā-varṇana & Hariścandra-māhātmya
Description of Brahmā’s Assembly and the Eminence of Hariścandra
सामानि स्तुतिगीतानि गाथाश्न विविधास्तथा । भाष्याणि तर्कयुक्तानि देहवन्ति विशाम्पते
sāmāni stutigītāni gāthāś ca vividhās tathā | bhāṣyāṇi tarkayuktāni dehavanti viśāmpate ||
Nārada berkata: “Wahai tuan bagi sekalian rakyat, lantunan Sāman, puji-pujian, nyanyian, dan pelbagai gāthā—bersama huraian tafsir yang berasaskan hujah—hadir di sana seolah-olah berjasad. Dalam balairung itu, pelbagai bentuk seni drama dan sastera—pementasan, puisi, kisah, ākhyāyikā, dan rangkap-rangkap didaktik—bersemayam seakan-akan tampak; dan demikian juga para insan berbakti yang memuliakan guru serta para tua-tua, semuanya tegak bertempat di dewan itu.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates sacred sound and disciplined learning: Vedic chant, praise-poetry, and reasoned exposition are treated as living presences, implying that true knowledge and well-argued teaching possess a dignified, almost sacred reality. It also affirms ethical merit in honoring gurus and elders, placing such conduct among the highest values recognized in the ideal assembly.
Nārada is describing the extraordinary nature of a famed assembly hall: not only people but also forms of knowledge—chants, hymns, songs, gāthās, and logical commentaries—are imagined as ‘embodied’ and present there, along with other virtuous persons devoted to venerating teachers and elders.