Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 10
Dialogue with the Parrot-Sage: Lineage, Ignorance, and the Vow of Learning
नाहं देवो न गंधर्वो नाहं विद्याधरः पुनः । योहं विप्र प्रवक्ष्यामि तन्मे निगदतः शृणु
nāhaṃ devo na gaṃdharvo nāhaṃ vidyādharaḥ punaḥ | yohaṃ vipra pravakṣyāmi tanme nigadataḥ śṛṇu
میں نہ دیوتا ہوں، نہ گندھرو، اور نہ ہی وِدیادھر۔ اے وِپر، میں بتاؤں گا کہ میں کون ہوں—جب میں کہوں تو غور سے سنو۔
Unspecified speaker addressing a brāhmaṇa (vipra) within the Adhyaya 122 narrative
Concept: True authority is grounded in truthful self-disclosure and readiness to instruct, not in celestial status.
Application: Before advising others, clarify your standpoint honestly; listen carefully when a teacher signals a serious disclosure.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A wandering ascetic pauses before a seated brāhmaṇa under a banyan’s shade, raising a hand in a gentle gesture of disclosure. The brāhmaṇa leans forward, palm to ear in the classical listening pose, as the air feels charged with an imminent revelation.","primary_figures":["unnamed speaker (ascetic/narrator figure)","brāhmaṇa (vipra listener)"],"setting":"Forest-edge hermitage courtyard with kusa grass seat, water pot, and palm-leaf manuscripts nearby","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","leaf green","smoke gray","ochre","deep indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: an ascetic speaker with matted hair and simple ochre cloth addressing a seated brāhmaṇa on a kusa mat, gold leaf halo subtly behind the speaker to suggest inner authority, rich maroon and emerald borders, ornate but restrained jewelry on the brāhmaṇa, temple-lamp accents and delicate floral motifs framing the dialogue scene.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate guru-śiṣya dialogue beneath a banyan, delicate brushwork, cool greens and indigos, refined facial features, a small hermitage with a thatched roof in the background, a river glint far away, lyrical naturalism emphasizing attentive listening and quiet revelation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, warm red-ochre skin tones, the speaker’s hand raised in teaching mudrā, the brāhmaṇa with wide stylized eyes in listening posture, flat decorative foliage, temple-wall aesthetic with rhythmic borders and traditional pigment palette.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional dialogue framed by lotus and creeper borders, peacocks perched on branches, a subtle Vishnu-padma motif in the corner hinting Vaishnava context, deep blue background wash with gold highlights, intricate floral filigree around the figures."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["forest birds","soft wind in leaves","distant temple bell","brief silence between clauses"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: नाहं = न + अहम्; योहं = यः + अहम्; तन्मे = तत् + मे.
FAQs
The speaker clarifies that they do not belong to common celestial categories (deva, gandharva, vidyādhara) and prepares to reveal their true identity to a brāhmaṇa.
These are well-known classes of supernatural beings; denying all three heightens suspense and signals that the speaker’s identity is unusual or significant within the narrative.
The verse models humility and truthful self-disclosure, and it emphasizes attentive listening (śṛṇu) as a prerequisite for receiving important teaching or revelation.