Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 69
Womb-Suffering and the Path to Liberation
Dialogue of Wisdom, Meditation, and Discernment
भ्रातुस्तस्य महाभाग आह्वानं च करोम्यहम् । भोभो विवेक मे भ्रातरावयोस्त्वं वचः शृणु
bhrātustasya mahābhāga āhvānaṃ ca karomyaham | bhobho viveka me bhrātarāvayostvaṃ vacaḥ śṛṇu
اے صاحبِ سعادت! میں اُس بھائی کو بھی بلاتا ہوں۔ ارے ارے، ویویک! اے میرے بھائی، ہم دونوں کی بات سنو۔
Unspecified narrator/speaker within the dialogue (context needed to identify the named speaker)
Concept: Discernment is not abstract; it must be ‘invited’ into one’s deliberation—actively consulted when two perspectives meet.
Application: When conflicted, explicitly ‘call’ discernment: write the question, list dharmic options, and choose what increases sattva and devotion.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dignified figure raises his voice in a calm āśrama courtyard, calling ‘Viveka!’ The air ripples with subtle light as a personified Discernment begins to appear—clear-eyed, holding a lamp and a scripture—while the two speakers stand together, united in purpose.","primary_figures":["Caller (narrative speaker, implied)","Vītarāga","Viveka (arriving, personified)"],"setting":"Forest hermitage courtyard with a sacred fire, kusa grass seats, and a blooming lotus pond nearby as symbolic backdrop.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["sunrise gold","forest green","clay brown","ivory white","lapis blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: āśrama courtyard with a small homa-kunda; the caller gesturing outward, Vītarāga beside him; Viveka emerging in a gold-leaf aura holding a lamp (jñāna-dīpa) and palm-leaf śāstra; ornate arch, rich crimson and emerald, heavy jewelry only on Viveka as ‘royal’ wisdom.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: lyrical forest scene, soft dawn gradient; Viveka appears as a slender sage with a lamp, delicate brushwork on leaves and pond; subtle expressions, cool blues and greens with warm dawn highlights.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: stylized hermitage with bold outlines; Viveka with large eyes, lamp in hand, haloed; warm yellow and red background, green foliage patterns, temple-wall composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central motif of a glowing lamp-lotus (viveka), attendants as virtues; ornate floral borders with lotus and tulasi leaves; deep blue cloth with gold and white detailing, symmetrical devotional composition."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["forest birds","crackling sacred fire","conch shell (soft, distant)"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: भ्रातुस्तस्य = भ्रातुः + तस्य; करोम्यहम् = करोमि + अहम्; भ्रातरावयोः = भ्रातरौ + आवयोः; आवयोस्त्वम् = आवयोः + त्वम्
FAQs
In this śloka, Viveka is addressed as a person (a brother). The name also literally means ‘discernment’ or ‘discrimination,’ which often carries ethical-philosophical resonance in Purāṇic narratives.
The verse highlights the value of discernment and careful hearing—inviting ‘Viveka’ to listen suggests that wise judgment arises from attentive consideration of both sides.
Bhūmi-khaṇḍa frequently uses dialogue and personified virtues to frame moral and social instruction; this verse functions as a transition where a third party (Viveka/Discernment) is summoned to hear and judge.