Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 19
The Nature of Knowledge, the Guru as Living Tīrtha, and the Law of Final Remembrance
एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातमात्मवृत्तांतमेव हि । अन्यत्किं ते प्रवक्ष्यामि तद्ब्रूहि द्विजसत्तम
etatte sarvamākhyātamātmavṛttāṃtameva hi | anyatkiṃ te pravakṣyāmi tadbrūhi dvijasattama
یہ سب کچھ تمہیں بیان کر دیا—درحقیقت یہ میری اپنی سرگزشت ہی ہے۔ اب میں تم سے اور کیا کہوں؟ بتاؤ، اے دو بار جنم لینے والوں میں افضل۔
Unspecified narrator (a speaker addressing a Brahmin interlocutor, 'dvijasattama')
Concept: Truthful self-accounting and readiness to answer sincere inquiry; teaching proceeds by the listener’s question (praśna) and the speaker’s transparency.
Application: In conversations, summarize clearly what has been shared, then invite precise questions; in spiritual study, ask targeted doubts to move from story to practice.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A composed narrator finishes speaking, hands resting calmly on his knees, while a dignified brāhmaṇa (‘dvijasattama’) leans forward with attentive eyes, ready to ask the next question. The space feels like a pause between chapters—an audible hush in the hermitage, with the fire’s embers glowing as the dialogue turns from narration to inquiry.","primary_figures":["Narrator (speaker of the account)","Dvijasattama (brāhmaṇa interlocutor)"],"setting":"Hermitage interior with a low fire-altar, two kusa seats, and a manuscript bundle tied with red cloth.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["ember orange","smoke gray","leaf green","earth umber","cream"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: two seated figures facing each other in a symmetrical hermitage setting; gold-leaf highlights on the fire-altar and manuscript bundle; rich red and green borders, embossed ornaments on ritual vessels, poised gestures indicating a transition in dialogue.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate conversational pause under a tree canopy; delicate lines, soft shadows; the brāhmaṇa slightly inclined forward, the narrator calm; muted natural palette with refined facial expressions and a small glowing fire at center.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; two figures in profile with expressive eyes; stylized altar and palm-leaf manuscripts; warm reds and yellows around the embers, green background with ornamental borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central dialogue scene framed by ornate floral borders and lotus motifs; deep blue ground with warm ember highlights; small peacocks at corners; intricate white filigree emphasizing the ‘pause’ and readiness for the next question."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["crackling fire","soft footfall of hermitage life","distant birds","brief silence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: एतत्ते → एतत् ते; सर्वमाख्यातम् → सर्वम् आख्यातम्; आख्यातमात्मवृत्तान्तम् → आख्यातम् आत्मवृत्तान्तम्; अन्यत्किम् → अन्यत् किम्; तद्ब्रूहि → तत् ब्रूहि
FAQs
The speaker concludes a self-narration and invites the Brahmin listener to ask what else he wishes to hear, marking a transition in the dialogue.
'Dvijasattama' means “best of the twice-born,” a respectful address to an exemplary Brahmin (dvija = twice-born; sattama = best).
It models humility and responsiveness in teaching: the speaker has shared his account and now defers to the listener’s inquiry to guide further instruction.