Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 12
Within the Greatness of Guru-tīrtha: The Episode of Nahuṣa and Aśokasundarī
in the Cyavana account
एवमाकर्णितं भद्रे आत्मना तं च सुंदरि । तद्भावसत्यसंबंधं परिगृह्य स्थितः स्वयम्
evamākarṇitaṃ bhadre ātmanā taṃ ca suṃdari | tadbhāvasatyasaṃbaṃdhaṃ parigṛhya sthitaḥ svayam
Như vậy, hỡi người hiền dịu—hỡi giai nhân—nghe điều ấy ngay trong tự tâm, chính người ấy vẫn an trụ vững vàng, ôm giữ mối liên hệ chân thật với trạng thái ấy.
Uncertain (context needed; vocatives suggest a male narrator addressing a female interlocutor, likely within a dialogue frame)
Concept: Hearing truth, one should remain steady and ‘take up’ (parigṛhya) the true relation—integrating knowledge into being.
Application: When you receive clear guidance, pause and stabilize rather than react; make a conscious inner ‘acceptance’ of the truthful course and hold it through action.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A noble figure stands still after receiving a decisive message, eyes lowered in contemplation, hands gently clasped at the heart. Around him, the air settles—swirling doubts fade, and a subtle golden thread connects his heart to a luminous emblem of ‘satya’, suggesting an inner marriage to truth.","primary_figures":["male protagonist (unspecified)","female interlocutor (bhadre/sundarī)","messenger or narrator figure (optional)"],"setting":"quiet garden courtyard with jasmine, a small tulasi planter, and a shrine niche","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["soft gold","jasmine white","rose pink","forest green","midnight blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dawn-lit courtyard with ornate arch; protagonist in calm stance, gold leaf halo; the woman in elegant attire listens; a thin gold leaf ‘truth-thread’ arcs between them and a small Viṣṇu symbol; rich reds/greens, embossed gold detailing on textiles and shrine.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate garden scene with delicate flora, pale dawn sky; subtle emotional restraint on faces; a faint golden line indicating satya-sambandha; cool blues and greens with gentle pink accents.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic figures with bold outlines; protagonist shown in steady posture, hands near chest; tulasi and shrine emphasized; warm yellow-red background with green foliage, stylized dawn gradient.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: courtyard framed by lotus and floral borders; tulasi central as a devotional anchor; peacocks and vines; deep blue ground with gold linework, the ‘satya’ connection rendered as ornate golden creeper."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["morning birds","soft bell at a shrine","gentle tanpura drone","quiet footsteps fading"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: evam+ākarṇitam→evamākarṇitam; tad+bhāva+satya+saṃbandham→tadbhāvasatyasaṃbandham
FAQs
It highlights inward listening and firm resolve: after truly hearing/realizing something internally, one remains steady by accepting a genuine connection to that truth-state.
The language leans contemplative—inner hearing and steady abidance in truth—though in the Padma Purana such steadiness often supports devotional (bhakti) commitment in the surrounding narrative.
A female interlocutor is being addressed (“O gentle one, O beautiful one”), but the exact identity (e.g., Pārvatī or another character) cannot be confirmed from this single verse alone.