Shloka 21
Rite of Tree Consecration and the Merit of Planting Sacred Trees
परमां सिद्धिमाप्नोति पुनरावृत्तिदुर्लभाम् । य इदं शृणुयान्नित्यं श्रावयेद्वापि मानवः
paramāṃ siddhimāpnoti punarāvṛttidurlabhām | ya idaṃ śṛṇuyānnityaṃ śrāvayedvāpi mānavaḥ
وہ اعلیٰ ترین سِدھی کو پاتا ہے، جو دوبارہ آواگمن (پُنرجنم) سے پاک اور نہایت دشوار الحصول ہے۔ جو انسان اسے نِت سنے یا سنوائے، وہ اسی بلند کمال تک پہنچتا ہے۔
Unspecified (phalaśruti-style statement within the narrative)
Concept: Regular listening to, or causing the recitation of, this dharmic teaching grants the highest siddhi—rare and characterized by non-return (freedom from rebirth).
Application: Set a daily rhythm of hearing/reciting Purāṇic teachings (even a few verses), sponsor recitations, and cultivate attentive listening as spiritual practice.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"In a quiet hall, a reciter chants from a palm-leaf manuscript while listeners sit with closed eyes, the air filled with a subtle luminous vibration. Above them, a symbolic lotus opens into a path of light—suggesting ‘apunarāvṛtti’—as if the sound itself becomes a bridge beyond return.","primary_figures":["reciter (paurāṇika)","devotee listeners","subtle symbolic Vishnu presence (conch-disc aura)"],"setting":"lamp-lit temple hall with palm-leaf manuscripts, tulsi-wood beads on a stand (as a general Vaishnava ambience, not explicit in verse), and a small altar","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit","color_palette":["deep indigo","warm amber","lotus white","soft gold","maroon"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: sacred recitation scene—paurāṇika seated with palm-leaf manuscript, devotees listening in rows, small altar with conch-disc motifs; gold leaf radiance emanating from the spoken syllables forming a lotus-path upward, rich reds/greens, ornate borders and arch, jewel-like highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate satsang in a quiet hall, reciter chanting softly, listeners absorbed; delicate lamps, patterned rugs, cool indigo shadows with warm amber highlights, a faint lotus of light above suggesting liberation, refined serene faces.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined recitation assembly with rhythmic symmetry, lamps and manuscript emphasized; warm yellow-red background, indigo accents, stylized lotus-light motif above, temple-wall framing bands and ornamental creepers.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central lotus motif formed from golden script-like patterns representing recited sound; devotees seated around a reciter, ornate floral borders, deep blue ground with gold, hanging lamps, peacocks at corners, conch-disc symbols subtly integrated."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["steady tanpura drone","soft temple bell at intervals","pages/palm-leaf rustle","silence between verses","distant flowing water"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सिद्धिमाप्नोति = सिद्धिम् + आप्नोति; शृणुयान्नित्यं = शृणुयात् + नित्यम् (त् + न → न्न); श्रावयेद्वापि = श्रावयेत् + वा + अपि (त् + व → द्व्); य इदं = यः + इदम् (विसर्ग-लोप)
FAQs
It praises śravaṇa (hearing) and śrāvaṇa/pravacana (causing the text to be heard through recitation or teaching) as powerful practices leading to supreme spiritual success.
It indicates an attainment that is hard to reach and characterized by the absence of 'return'—commonly read as liberation from repeated rebirth (saṃsāra).
The verse elevates sharing sacred knowledge: not only personal listening but also enabling others to hear is presented as a meritorious, spiritually transformative act.