Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 65
The Story of Sudevā and Śivaśarman (within the Sukalā Narrative): Pride, Neglect, and Household Discipline
चरित्रं ते प्रवक्ष्यमि शृणुष्वैकमना द्विज
caritraṃ te pravakṣyami śṛṇuṣvaikamanā dvija
اے دو بار جنم لینے والے، میں تمہیں یہ واقعہ سناتا ہوں؛ یکسوئی کے ساتھ سنو۔
Unspecified narrator (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa dialogues)
Concept: Śravaṇa with ekāgratā (one-pointed attention) is itself a dharmic discipline that makes the forthcoming kathā spiritually efficacious.
Application: Before reading/listening to sacred texts, set intention, reduce distractions, and listen as a vow (niyama) for steadiness of mind.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A sage-narrator sits on a kusa-grass seat beneath a flowering aśvattha, palm-leaf manuscript in hand, raising one finger in gentle instruction. A ‘dvija’ listener sits with folded hands, eyes lowered in concentration, as the air seems to still—signaling the sanctity of the coming kathā.","primary_figures":["kathā-vācaka (sage/narrator)","dvija-śrotā (brahmin listener)"],"setting":"Forest hermitage (āśrama) with a small yajña-śālā, water pot, and manuscript stand; distant river shimmer implied.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","leaf green","ochre","smoke gray","vermillion"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: a seated sage-narrator under a stylized sacred tree, gold leaf halo around the speaker’s head, the listener brahmin in añjali-mudrā, ornate manuscript stand and brass kamaṇḍalu, rich reds and greens, gem-studded borders, South Indian iconographic symmetry emphasizing the sanctity of śravaṇa.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate hermitage scene with delicate brushwork, soft Himalayan-like greens, refined faces, the narrator gesturing ‘listen’ while the dvija leans forward, thin ink lines for foliage, lyrical calm, a faint river ribbon in the background.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines, warm yellow-ochre skin tones, the sage with large expressive eyes and stylized hair-knot, palm-leaf manuscript prominent, temple-wall aesthetic with red/green blocks, minimal depth but strong devotional presence.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional listening assembly framed by lotus and creeper borders, peacocks perched on branches, central vignette of narrator and listener, deep indigo background with gold highlights, floral motifs suggesting ‘kathā-rasa’ as sacred nectar."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["soft temple bells","rustling leaves","distant flowing water","brief conch shell prelude","silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: शृणुष्वैकमना = शृणुष्व + एकमना (स्व + ए → स्वै); अन्यत्र स्पष्ट-सन्धि नहीं।
FAQs
It serves as a formal narrative cue: the speaker signals that a significant story or exemplary account (caritra) is about to be narrated and asks the listener to pay focused attention.
“Dvija” literally means “twice-born,” commonly used for a Brahmin or an initiated member of the three varṇas; in Purāṇic dialogues it often functions as a respectful address to the interlocutor.
It underscores disciplined listening (śravaṇa) and mental concentration as prerequisites for properly receiving and internalizing dharmic teaching conveyed through sacred narrative.