Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 53
The Birth and Preservation of Nahuṣa
Guru-tīrtha Greatness within the Vena Episode
समपश्यन्सुतं ते तु आयोश्चैव महात्मनः । वशिष्ठः स तु धर्मात्मा ज्ञानेनालोक्य बालकम्
samapaśyansutaṃ te tu āyoścaiva mahātmanaḥ | vaśiṣṭhaḥ sa tu dharmātmā jñānenālokya bālakam
Nang magkagayo’y minasdan ni Vasiṣṭha—ang matuwid at puspos ng dharma—ang anak ng dakilang si Āyu; at sa pagtanaw niya sa bata sa liwanag ng kanyang kaalamang espirituwal, natanto niya ang tunay na kalagayan nito.
Narrator (contextual prose narration; not a direct quotation)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: forest
Sandhi Resolution Notes: आयोश्चैव = आयोः + च + एव (विसर्ग-लोप; च एव → चैव). ज्ञानेनालोक्य = ज्ञानेन + आलोक्य (स्वर-सन्धि).
FAQs
Vasiṣṭha observes Āyu’s son and, using spiritual insight (jñāna), assesses the boy’s true state or nature.
It presents him as a dharmic seer whose knowledge is not merely intellectual but a means of discerning truth beyond outward appearance.
The verse implies that wise judgment should be grounded in dharma and clear discernment, not in superficial impressions.