Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 18
Vena Episode Conclusion: Pṛthu’s Merit and the Greatness of Hearing the Padma Purāṇa in Kali-yuga
कस्माच्छ्रोष्यंति तत्पुण्यं चतुर्वर्गप्रसाधनम् । येन श्रुतमिदं पुण्यं पुराणं पद्मसंज्ञकम्
kasmācchroṣyaṃti tatpuṇyaṃ caturvargaprasādhanam | yena śrutamidaṃ puṇyaṃ purāṇaṃ padmasaṃjñakam
เหตุไฉนเขาจึงไม่สดับฟังบุญธรรมอันยังจตุรวรรคะ—สี่เป้าหมายแห่งชีวิต—ให้สำเร็จเล่า? เพราะด้วยการได้สดับนี้เอง ปุราณะอันเป็นบุญนามว่า “ปัทมะ” ย่อมได้สดับ
Unspecified in provided excerpt (likely a narrator/teacher voice within the chapter’s dialogue context).
Concept: Śravaṇa of Padma Purāṇa is itself a puṇya-sādhana that supports the four puruṣārthas (dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa).
Application: Make time for daily/weekly listening or reading of Vaiṣṇava Purāṇas; treat attentive hearing as a disciplined practice (niyama) that shapes choices across all life-goals.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serene assembly under a banyan tree: a sage holds a palm-leaf manuscript titled ‘Padma’, while listeners lean forward in attentive silence. Above them, four luminous emblems hover—scales (dharma), a sheaf of grain/coins (artha), a blossoming lotus pair (kāma refined), and an open sky-doorway (mokṣa)—showing how hearing integrates life’s aims.","primary_figures":["teaching sage (Pulastya-like)","attentive householders","scribes with palm leaves"],"setting":"forest hermitage lecture space with kusa mats, water pot, and manuscript stand","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","leaf green","lotus pink","sky blue","manuscript brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a seated sage on a carved wooden vyāsapīṭha reading the Padma Purāṇa to householders; gold leaf halos, rich vermilion and emerald textiles, ornate manuscript cover with gem-like dots; four symbolic emblems of puruṣārthas rendered as gilded medallions floating above, traditional South Indian decorative borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate satsang beneath a banyan, delicate faces and soft gestures; the manuscript labeled ‘Padma’ in Devanagari; cool greens and blues with lotus pink accents; distant Himalayan-like hills and a small stream; refined naturalism emphasizing listening and inquiry.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized banyan leaves, the sage with large expressive eyes holding palm leaves; warm yellow ochre background, red and green garments; symbolic puruṣārtha icons in circular panels above; temple-wall composition with rhythmic ornamentation.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central manuscript and lamp on a low altar, surrounded by concentric lotus borders; devotees seated in a semicircle; peacocks and cows at the margins as auspicious witnesses; deep blue ground with gold and white floral filigree; puruṣārtha symbols integrated into the border medallions."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft temple bells","rustling leaves","distant birds"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: कस्माच्छ्रोष्यंति = कस्मात् + श्रोष्यन्ति; तत्पुण्यं = तत् + पुण्यम्; श्रुतमिदं = श्रुतम् + इदम्; पद्मसंज्ञकम् = पद्म + संज्ञकम् (समास/तत्पुरुष).
FAQs
It praises listening to the Padma Purāṇa as a highly meritorious act that helps fulfill the four human aims (dharma, artha, kāma, mokṣa).
Caturvarga refers to the four classical goals of life in Hindu thought: dharma (duty/ethics), artha (prosperity), kāma (legitimate desire), and mokṣa (liberation).
The verse encourages śravaṇa (reverent listening) to sacred literature, presenting it as a direct means to holistic human flourishing and spiritual progress.