शुनोमुख उवाच । मया हृतानि सर्वेषां बिसानीमानि वो द्विजाः । धर्मान्वै श्रोतुकामेन मां जानीत पुरंदरम्
śunomukha uvāca | mayā hṛtāni sarveṣāṃ bisānīmāni vo dvijāḥ | dharmānvai śrotukāmena māṃ jānīta puraṃdaram
Śunomukha berkata: “Wahai para dwija (yang dua kali lahir), aku telah mengambil semua tangkai teratai milik kamu. Namun ketahuilah aku sebagai Purandara (Indra), kerana aku berbuat demikian semata-mata kerana rindu mendengar Dharma.”
Śunomukha
Type: kund
Listener: Dvijas/ṛṣis
Scene: Śunomukha openly admits taking the lotus-stalks; as he speaks, his form subtly reveals Purandara (Indra): a faint crown, vajra motif, celestial aura; sages react with astonishment, the lotus pond gleams behind.
Even disruptive or puzzling events can serve Dharma when they arise from a sincere desire to hear and understand righteous conduct.
This verse occurs within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya setting; the specific tīrtha is not named in this single śloka and must be inferred from the surrounding verses of Adhyāya 32.
No direct ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse; it frames a Dharma-teaching dialogue by revealing the speaker’s intent.