Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 4
Narada Consoles King Āyu: Prophecy of the Son’s Return and Future Sovereignty
येनाप्यपहृतस्तेऽद्य बालो देवगुणोपमः । आत्मगेहे महाराज कालो नीतो न संशयः
yenāpyapahṛtaste'dya bālo devaguṇopamaḥ | ātmagehe mahārāja kālo nīto na saṃśayaḥ
أيها الملك العظيم، إن الغلام الذي تماثل صفاته صفاتَ الآلهة قد اختُطف اليوم حقًّا على يدِ أحدٍ؛ ولا شكّ أنه أُبقي زمنًا في بيته هو.
Unspecified (a narrator/minister-like informant addressing the king within the chapter’s dialogue)
Concept: Even when the virtuous suffer sudden loss, events unfold within time (kāla) and will be brought to resolution; discernment is required before reaction.
Application: In crisis, gather reliable information and act with steadiness; avoid rash retaliation until facts are clear.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A shadowed corridor scene contrasts with the bright court: the godlike boy is shown safe yet confined within a guarded inner chamber of the abductor’s house. Back in the palace, a messenger leans close to the king, delivering the grave news with certainty.","primary_figures":["Āyurāja","messenger/informant","abducted boy","guards/abductor silhouette"],"setting":"split-scene: palace sabhā on one side, dim private house interior on the other","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["smoky charcoal","bronze","muted maroon","pale gold","deep teal"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: dual-panel narrative—left: king receiving news, right: child in guarded chamber—gold leaf used sparingly to highlight the child’s divine-like aura, heavy ornamental borders, dramatic contrast between bright court and dark interior.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: cinematic split composition with delicate interior architecture, latticed windows casting patterned shadows, the child’s calm face, messenger’s anxious posture, restrained palette with fine detailing.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: strong outlines and narrative registers, child depicted with auspicious marks, guards stylized, king and messenger in a lower band, warm pigments with darkened interior tones.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: narrative framed by floral borders, symbolic lotus motifs around the child to indicate divine protection, darker indigo background for the confinement scene, ornamental symmetry despite tension."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["low drum pulse","distant conch","whispered court murmurs","door creak"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: येनापि = येन + अपि; अपहृतस्तेऽद्य = अपहृतः + ते + अद्य; देवगुणोपमः = देव + गुण + उपमः (compound); no other major external sandhi.
FAQs
It conveys certainty: the king is told that his divinely gifted boy has been abducted and that time has already passed with the child being held in a private house.
It indicates the child is perceived as exceptionally virtuous or extraordinary—possessing qualities likened to those of the devas (gods).
It underscores urgency and accountability: delay has already occurred, so decisive action is implied rather than doubt or indecision.