Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 36
The Vena Episode and the Sukalā Narrative: The Speaking Sow, Pulastya’s Curse, and Indra’s Appeal
स जयी कथ्यते योगी स च वीरः ससाधकः । शब्दं श्रुत्वाथ वा दृष्ट्वा रूपमेवं महामते
sa jayī kathyate yogī sa ca vīraḥ sasādhakaḥ | śabdaṃ śrutvātha vā dṛṣṭvā rūpamevaṃ mahāmate
وہی یوگی فاتح کہلاتا ہے؛ وہی بہادر ہے، وہی سچا سادھک ہے۔ اے عالی ہمت، آواز سن کر یا صورت دیکھ کر بھی وہ اسی طرح ثابت قدم رہتا ہے۔
Unspecified in the provided excerpt (context needed to confirm the dialogue pair for Bhūmi-khaṇḍa 46).
Concept: A yogin is a conqueror when sensory contact does not dislodge meditation; heroism is equanimity amid stimuli.
Application: Practice ‘pause and return’: when distracted by sound/visual triggers, label the stimulus, soften the breath, and return to mantra or chosen focus without self-blame.
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: forest
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A yogin sits unwavering on a kuśa mat while the forest offers temptations: a sudden song, a flash of beauty, the stir of movement at the edge of sight. Yet his gaze remains inward, breath calm, as if an invisible fortress surrounds his mind—true victory without weapons.","primary_figures":["steadfast yogin (sādhaka)","personified sound and form as subtle apparitions"],"setting":"forest meditation spot with a small fire-pit, prayer beads, and tall trees forming a natural sanctum","lighting_mood":"moonlit","color_palette":["silver moonlight","deep teal","smoldering ember orange","sage green","pearl white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central yogin with serene face and golden halo, forest rendered in stylized layers, temptations shown as faint decorative motifs (musical notes, alluring silhouettes) kept outside a luminous aura, gold leaf emphasizing inner victory, rich reds/greens and ornate borders.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: tranquil moonlit grove, yogin in still posture, delicate depiction of distractions as translucent forms dissolving into night air, cool palette with refined facial features, lyrical trees and a quiet stream suggested in the distance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, yogin with large calm eyes, symbolic sound/form as patterned shapes near the margins, warm pigment contrasts (red/yellow/green) against dark background, temple-wall compositional clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: meditative center surrounded by concentric lotus rings, distractions as outer-ring motifs, peacocks and deer at the periphery, deep blue cloth ground with gold and white detailing, intricate floral borders suggesting controlled senses."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["tanpura drone","soft wind","distant owl","occasional bell chime"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: स जयी→सः जयी; शब्दं श्रुत्वाथ→शब्दम् श्रुत्वा अथ; रूपमेवं→रूपम् एवम्.
FAQs
The verse praises the yogin as 'victorious' because he maintains disciplined steadiness as a sādhaka, not being overpowered by sensory inputs like sound (śabda) and form (rūpa).
They represent common sensory triggers—hearing and seeing—through which distraction and attachment arise; the verse points to mastery over such sense-objects as a sign of authentic practice.
It teaches restraint and composure: a sincere practitioner should not be driven by what is heard or seen, but remain inwardly stable and purposeful in sādhanā.