Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 21
Vena’s Fall into Adharma and the Prelude to Pṛthu’s Birth
सर्वेषामेव वर्णानां श्रुतिरेषा सनातनी । वेदाचारेण वर्तंते तेन जीवंति जंतवः
sarveṣāmeva varṇānāṃ śrutireṣā sanātanī | vedācāreṇa vartaṃte tena jīvaṃti jaṃtavaḥ
Đối với mọi varna, đây là lời dạy vĩnh cửu của Śruti. Muôn loài sống còn nhờ hành trì theo kỷ cương và nghi quỹ Veda.
Unspecified (context-dependent within Bhūmi-khaṇḍa narration)
Concept: Śruti is eternal guidance for all social orders; beings sustain life by living according to Vedic conduct (vedācāra).
Application: Adopt disciplined habits: truthfulness, cleanliness, restraint, study, charity, and worship; let daily routine be anchored in time-tested ethical principles.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A great banyan tree symbolizes eternal śruti, its roots and branches forming a mandala over a village and hermitage where people of different roles perform their duties—teaching, protecting, trading, serving—harmoniously. Above, a faint luminous script (like flowing Devanāgarī) descends like rain, suggesting that life is sustained by Vedic discipline.","primary_figures":["Personified Śruti (as a luminous script-stream)","Householders and students","A teacher-sage overseeing discipline"],"setting":"Hermitage edge near a settled community; banyan tree, small shrine, daily rites in progress.","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["banyan green","sunrise gold","clay brown","ivory","sky blue"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: central banyan-tree mandala with gold leaf highlights, beneath it orderly scenes of daily dharma—teacher with students, kingly guard, merchant weighing goods, devotees offering lamps—ornate borders, rich reds/greens, stylized Devanāgarī script as a golden cascade from above.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: serene dawn landscape with a banyan tree, small āśrama huts, villagers performing duties, delicate brushwork and soft gradients, a subtle ribbon of luminous script in the sky, refined calm faces and gentle naturalism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic banyan at center with symmetrical vignettes of varṇa-duties around it, bold outlines, flat pigments, dominant yellow-red-green, stylized script motifs as decorative bands, temple-wall compositional clarity.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: floral-bordered composition with a central tree-of-dharma, repeated lotus motifs, small narrative panels of daily rites, deep blue background with gold script patterns, peacocks perched on branches, intricate textile-like detailing."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["morning birds","soft flowing water","tanpura drone","long pauses between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सर्वेषामेव = सर्वेषाम् + एव; श्रुतिरेषा = श्रुतिः + एषा (विसर्ग-सन्धि).
FAQs
It presents Śruti (revealed Vedic authority) as an eternal guideline applicable to all varṇas, not restricted to a single group.
Vedācāra means living in accordance with Vedic discipline—ethical restraints, duties, and prescribed conduct aligned with scriptural norms.
That social and personal well-being is sustained by principled conduct rooted in enduring scriptural wisdom; life thrives when behavior aligns with dharma.