Shloka 3
Praise of Devotion to Viṣṇu
The Supremacy of Hari’s Name over All Tīrthas
एतन्नो ब्रूहि सर्वज्ञ कर्मैवं यदि वर्तते । सूत उवाच । कर्मयोगः किल प्रोक्तो वर्णानां द्विजपूर्वशः
etanno brūhi sarvajña karmaivaṃ yadi vartate | sūta uvāca | karmayogaḥ kila prokto varṇānāṃ dvijapūrvaśaḥ
एतन्नो ब्रूहि सर्वज्ञ कर्मैवं यदि वर्तते। सूत उवाच—कर्मयोगः किल प्रोक्तो वर्णानां द्विजपूर्वशः॥
Sūta
Concept: Karma-yoga—rightly ordered action—is prescribed according to varṇa, beginning with the twice-born, as a regulated path of dharma.
Application: Perform one’s responsibilities with steadiness and purity of intention; treat daily work as disciplined service rather than ego-driven striving.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A forest hermitage assembly where earnest seekers pose a precise question on how action should be practiced. The narrator-sage responds with calm authority, palm-leaf manuscripts and a small Viṣṇu emblem nearby, suggesting that dharma is being oriented toward the Supreme.","primary_figures":["Sūta","assembled ṛṣis","symbolic presence of Viṣṇu (śaṅkha-cakra emblem)"],"setting":"Naimiṣāraṇya-style yajña-śālā/forest āśrama with kusa grass seats, fire altar, and manuscript bundles","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","smoke gray","saffron ochre","leaf green","antique gold"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Sūta seated on a carved wooden āsana in a yajña-śālā, right hand in teaching gesture, ṛṣis in semicircle with folded hands, a small Viṣṇu śaṅkha-cakra emblem on a pedestal; gold leaf embellishment on halos, fire altar, and borders; rich reds and greens, gem-studded ornaments on ritual vessels, traditional South Indian iconographic symmetry.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet forest hermitage with slender trees and distant blue hills, Sūta teaching the ṛṣis on woven mats, delicate brushwork and refined faces, soft sky wash, small sacrificial fire with thin smoke, lyrical naturalism and cool palette accents.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, warm ochres and greens, Sūta as central teacher figure with stylized eyes, ṛṣis in attentive poses, yajña-kuṇḍa with flame motif, temple-wall aesthetic with ornamental floral borders and flat yet vibrant color fields.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional teaching scene framed by lotus and creeper borders, central dais with a subtle Viṣṇu symbol, attendants and sages arranged rhythmically, intricate floral patterns, deep blues and gold accents, peacocks at the border corners, Nathdwara-inspired ornamentation."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","crackling sacrificial fire","forest birds","page rustle of palm leaves"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: एतन्नो = एतत् + नः (त् + न → न्न); कर्मैवं = कर्म + एवम् (अ + ए → ऐ); कर्मयोगः = कर्म + योगः; द्विजपूर्वशः = द्विज + पूर्वशस् (avyaya-form).
FAQs
The verse explicitly marks the narration as “Sūta uvāca” (“Sūta said”), indicating Sūta is answering a question posed to an all-knowing teacher in the surrounding dialogue.
Here “karma-yoga” means performing one’s prescribed duties (karma) as a disciplined spiritual path—i.e., duty-oriented practice rather than mere ritual or self-serving action.
It implies an ordered framework of responsibilities: duties are taught and undertaken according to one’s role and stage, emphasizing disciplined conduct and accountability in social and spiritual life.