Shloka 4
Teaching on Karma-yoga
Discipline of Action as Worship
सूत उवाच । एवमेव पुरा पृष्टो व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः । ऋषिभिरग्निसंकाशैर्व्यासस्तानाह तच्छृणु
sūta uvāca | evameva purā pṛṣṭo vyāsaḥ satyavatīsutaḥ | ṛṣibhiragnisaṃkāśairvyāsastānāha tacchṛṇu
सूत उवाच—एवमेव पुरा पृष्टो व्यासः सत्यवतीसुतः। ऋषिभिरग्निसंकाशैर्व्यासस्तानाह तच्छृणु॥
Sūta
Concept: True teaching is authenticated by remembered precedent—what was asked of Vyāsa is asked again, preserving dharma through repetition and listening.
Application: Seek teachings from reliable lineages; verify practice by scriptural continuity and realized teachers, not novelty.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Sūta gestures as he recalls an ancient scene: Vyāsa, austere and luminous, surrounded by sages whose tapas makes them glow like living flames. The composition layers time—present listeners in shadowed foreground, the remembered past shining behind like a vision.","primary_figures":["Sūta","Vyāsa","fire-radiant sages (ṛṣayaḥ)"],"setting":"A narrative ‘double scene’: foreground teaching hall; background vision of Vyāsa’s āśrama with a blazing sacrificial fire and ascetics seated on kuśa mats.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["ember orange","ash white","deep indigo","antique gold","bark brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: split-panel composition—Sūta in the lower register narrating, Vyāsa in the upper register with a radiant halo; sages with gold-leaf highlights suggesting ‘fire-like’ tapas; ornate borders, rich reds/greens, and gem-like detailing on manuscript bundles and ritual vessels.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a soft, misty Himalayan-like grove with Vyāsa seated under a tree, sages around him with subtle flame-like aureoles; delicate brushwork, cool blues and warm ember accents, refined expressions of attentive listening.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Vyāsa centered with bold outlines and stylized eyes, sages arranged symmetrically with flame motifs behind their heads; strong red/yellow/green palette, temple-wall grandeur, rhythmic ornamental border.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a storytelling tableau framed by lotus creepers and floral borders; the ‘fire-radiant sages’ indicated by golden aureoles; deep blue ground with gold highlights, peacocks at corners, and subtle śaṅkha-cakra motifs to signal Vaiṣṇava authority."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["crackling fire","conch shell (distant)","rustle of leaves","low drone (tanpura)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: एवमेव = एवम् + एव; ऋषिभिरग्निसंकाशैः = ऋषिभिः + अग्निसंकाशैः; व्यासस्तानाह = व्यासः + तान् + आह; तच्छृणु = तत् + शृणु
FAQs
The speaker is Sūta, the traditional narrator who relays earlier sacred conversations. This framing emphasizes an authentic chain of transmission (guru–śiṣya and sage assemblies).
It conveys their tapas (austerity), spiritual brilliance, and authority—suggesting that the question posed to Vyāsa comes from highly realized seers.
The verse highlights disciplined inquiry and attentive listening: realized teachers respond to sincere questions, and the audience is urged to hear carefully (tac chṛṇu).