Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 35
Dialogue of Gobhila and Padmāvatī: Daitya Obstruction vs. the Power of Pativratā Dharma
तत्रेह कारणं सर्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि न संशयः । ब्राह्मणा दानवाश्चैव पिशाचाश्चैव राक्षसाः
tatreha kāraṇaṃ sarvaṃ pravakṣyāmi na saṃśayaḥ | brāhmaṇā dānavāścaiva piśācāścaiva rākṣasāḥ
هنا سأبيّن السبب كلَّه بلا ريب: فيما يخصّ البراهمة والدانافا والبيشاشا وكذلك الراكشاسا.
Unspecified (context-dependent narrator/speaker within the Adhyaya)
Concept: Events and moral outcomes have causes; the text promises a comprehensive causal account involving multiple classes of beings.
Application: Before judging outcomes, seek root causes; map influences (company, habits, impulses) and address them systematically; cultivate sat-saṅga to counter destructive tendencies.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A teacher-sage figure stands before a gathered audience, unrolling a palm-leaf manuscript that transforms into a living diagram: Brāhmaṇas in luminous white-gold, Dānavas in stormy hues, Piśācas in twilight smoke, and Rākṣasas in ember-red—each emerging from branching causal lines. The air is filled with floating syllables of śāstra, as if the explanation itself becomes a mandala of reason.","primary_figures":["teaching sage/narrator (symbolic)","Brāhmaṇas","Dānavas","Piśācas","Rākṣasas","listening assembly"],"setting":"forest hermitage classroom with sacred fire, palm-leaf manuscripts, and a chalk-like mandala on the ground","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["ivory","saffron","ember red","storm blue","smoke gray"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: guru-teacher at center with gold-leaf halo, palm-leaf manuscript unfurling into a branching causal tree of beings; ornate borders, rich reds/greens, embossed gold on manuscript edges and fire altar; stylized figures of the four classes arranged symmetrically like icon panels.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: hermitage scene with delicate foliage, refined seated listeners, the teacher gesturing toward a diagram-like scroll; cool morning palette with warm saffron accents, fine facial expressions, lyrical naturalism and gentle narrative clarity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: iconic teacher figure with bold outlines, manuscript rendered as a patterned band showing the four classes; flat pigments, temple-wall composition, strong reds/yellows/greens with smoky grays, expressive eyes emphasizing certainty.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central guru figure framed by floral borders; manuscript becomes a decorative tree with labeled panels for each being-class; deep blue ground with gold and white detailing, lotus vines and peacocks at corners, rhythmic ornamental symmetry."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["crackling sacred fire","rustle of palm leaves","forest birds","soft drone of tanpura"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तत्रेह = तत्र + इह; दानवाश्चैव = दानवाः + च + एव; पिशाचाश्चैव = पिशाचाः + च + एव.
FAQs
It signals an upcoming explanation of the underlying cause of events, explicitly noting that multiple classes of beings—human religious authorities and various non-human/demonic groups—are involved.
Purāṇic narration often frames causes and consequences as involving both dharmic agents (Brāhmaṇas) and disruptive forces (various demonic/ghostly beings), indicating a multi-layered moral and cosmic context.
The verse implies that understanding causality in dharmic stories requires seeing how different dispositions—wisdom/ritual authority and chaotic or harmful tendencies—interact to produce outcomes.