Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 19
Vena Episode Conclusion: Pṛthu’s Merit and the Greatness of Hearing the Padma Purāṇa in Kali-yuga
सर्वं हि साधितं तेन चतुर्वर्गस्य साधनम् । अश्वमेधादयो यज्ञास्तस्मान्नष्टा महामते
sarvaṃ hi sādhitaṃ tena caturvargasya sādhanam | aśvamedhādayo yajñāstasmānnaṣṭā mahāmate
ด้วยสิ่งนั้นเอง เครื่องบรรลุจตุรวรรค—ธรรม อรรถ กาม และโมกษะ—ย่อมสำเร็จครบถ้วนแล้ว เพราะฉะนั้น โอ้ผู้มีปัญญาใหญ่ ยัญญะทั้งหลายเช่นอัศวเมธะเป็นต้น จึงหมดความจำเป็นไป
Unspecified (context-required; likely within a Pulastya–Bhīṣma dialogue frame in Bhūmi-khaṇḍa)
Concept: Purāṇic śravaṇa (and its implied bhakti) can fulfill the means to the four puruṣārthas; elaborate śrauta sacrifices are unnecessary/ineffective for most in Kali-yuga.
Application: Prioritize steady devotional disciplines (hearing, chanting, simple vows) over status-driven religiosity; measure practice by inner transformation rather than ritual scale.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A grand sacrificial arena fades like a mirage—empty altars, untended fires, and a silent horse-banner—while in the foreground a small circle of listeners around a manuscript glows with living light. The composition visually declares that the ‘means to caturvarga’ has condensed into attentive hearing and devotion.","primary_figures":["sage narrator","Bhīṣma-like royal listener (symbolic)","householders and students"],"setting":"edge of a deserted yajña-śālā transitioning into a vibrant satsang space","lighting_mood":"divine radiance focused on the manuscript","color_palette":["smoky umber","ash white","radiant gold","deep teal","lotus rose"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: split-scene—left side a dim, abandoned Aśvamedha hall with extinguished fire pits; right side a luminous satsang with a sage holding the Padma Purāṇa; heavy gold leaf around the manuscript and halos, rich crimson-green textiles, ornate pillars, jewel-like highlights emphasizing ‘condensed merit’.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: poetic transition from a quiet, empty sacrificial ground to a lively listening circle; delicate architecture lines, soft gradients, cool teal shadows; the manuscript as the brightest focal point; refined expressions conveying calm certainty.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized yajña implements on one side, bold outlines; on the other, the sage and listeners with large eyes and composed faces; warm yellow background with red/green garments; symbolic conch and discus motifs framing the manuscript’s sanctity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central manuscript-lamp altar surrounded by lotus rings; outer border shows miniature motifs of yajña implements rendered faintly, as if obsolete; deep blue and gold with intricate floral borders; peacocks and cows as auspicious witnesses to bhakti’s supremacy."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft bell at cadence","gentle wind","quiet crackle (symbolic)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यज्ञास्तस्मान्नष्टा = यज्ञाः + तस्मात् + नष्टाः; महामते = महा + मते (कर्मधारय-समास).
FAQs
It states that a particular practice or attainment (referred to as “by that”) is sufficient to accomplish all that is needed for dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa—i.e., it fully satisfies the purposes traditionally sought through many religious means.
The verse presents a hierarchy of means: once the superior means implied by “tena” is achieved, large Vedic sacrifices like the Aśvamedha are considered unnecessary for attaining the same ends, and thus are described as having fallen into disuse/being rendered redundant.
The implied lesson is to prioritize the highest, most effective spiritual means over costly or elaborate ritualism—seeking inner or devotional fulfillment that accomplishes life’s aims more directly than external rites.