Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 160
Pitṛmātṛtīrtha Greatness & the Discourse on Embodiment: Karma, Birth, Impurity, and Dispassion
बालापत्या च मे भार्या कः करिष्यति रंधनम् । विवाहकाले कन्यायाः कीदृशश्च वरो भवेत्
bālāpatyā ca me bhāryā kaḥ kariṣyati raṃdhanam | vivāhakāle kanyāyāḥ kīdṛśaśca varo bhavet
زوجتي ما تزال فتية ومعها طفل صغير؛ فمن سيقوم بالطبخ؟ وعند وقت زواج الفتاة، أيُّ نوعٍ من العريس ينبغي أن يكون؟
Unspecified (context needed from surrounding verses in Bhūmi-khaṇḍa 66)
Concept: Household life is sustained by unseen labor and social obligations; anxiety arises from managing roles and future uncertainties.
Application: Share domestic responsibilities, keep household worship simple but steady (lamp, offering, mantra), and approach marriage decisions with dharmic criteria rather than status anxiety.
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A young mother with a small child sits near a clay stove, looking worried as an older family member discusses marriage arrangements with a scroll or palm-leaf list. Cooking pots, grains, and a small lamp before a household deity indicate the daily rhythm of duty, while the figures’ expressions show the tension between care-work and social expectations.","primary_figures":["young wife/mother","small child","elder relative (advisor)"],"setting":"domestic courtyard kitchen area with clay stove, pots, grain basket, small shrine corner","lighting_mood":"late afternoon, warm but anxious","color_palette":["saffron","terracotta","leaf green","warm beige","deep brown"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: domestic courtyard with mother and child near the hearth, elder advising about marriage; ornate borders, rich reds/greens; include a small Viṣṇu/Lakṣmī shrine with gold leaf halo and gem-like ornamentation to sanctify household duty.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: gentle domestic scene with refined faces and delicate brushwork on utensils and textiles; warm afternoon light, subtle emotional tension; soft greens and terracotta tones, lyrical realism.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, stylized hearth and pots; mother, child, and elder in iconic poses; red/yellow/green pigments, temple-wall aesthetic emphasizing dharma in daily life.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: decorative domestic tableau framed by lotus and floral borders; a small central shrine motif above, deep blues and gold accents; simplified figures near the hearth, emphasizing seva as worship."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Desh","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft utensil clink","evening birds","gentle bell","low household murmur"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: bālāpatyā → bāla-apatyā; kīdṛśaśca → kīdṛśaḥ + ca.
FAQs
It highlights household practicalities (who will manage cooking) alongside the dharmic question of selecting a suitable groom for a girl at marriage.
It reflects the householder’s responsibility to ensure the home’s daily functioning and to make prudent, value-based decisions regarding family rites like marriage.
Not directly; it poses the question. The specific qualities would typically be detailed in adjacent verses or related dharma discussions elsewhere in the text.