Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 28
The Nahusha Episode: Aśokasundarī’s Austerity and Huṇḍa’s Doom
नहुषस्यैव हस्तेन तव मृत्युर्भविष्यति । अजाते त्वयि संजाता वदसे त्वं यथैव तत्
nahuṣasyaiva hastena tava mṛtyurbhaviṣyati | ajāte tvayi saṃjātā vadase tvaṃ yathaiva tat
নহুষৰেই হাতে তোমাৰ মৃত্যু ঘটিব। তুমি এতিয়াও জন্ম নোহোৱা সত্ত্বেও, যেন আগতেই উদ্ভৱ হোৱা, তেনেকৈয়ে তুমি কথা কৈছা—এইদৰে তুমি ঘোষণা কৰিছা।
Unspecified (context-dependent within Adhyaya 108)
Concept: Karmic consequence ripens through time; even the unborn future agent is already ‘spoken into being’ by destiny and truth-backed speech.
Application: Do not underestimate delayed consequences; choose dharma now, trusting that justice ripens even if the instrument is not yet visible.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A visionary scene shows a spectral outline of Nahuṣa’s hand emerging from the future, grasping the thread of the offender’s fate like a noose of light. The speaker points toward the horizon of time, where a faint royal figure (Nahuṣa) stands, while the doomed being trembles under the certainty of the pronouncement.","primary_figures":["prophetic speaker","doomed offender (dānava/asura)","future Nahuṣa (faint, regal silhouette)"],"setting":"open terrace under a vast sky, with a symbolic time-horizon and a distant palace-city mirage","lighting_mood":"golden dawn","color_palette":["pale gold","sky blue","lavender haze","bronze","ashen white"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: prophetic speaker gesturing, a luminous future-hand motif labeled by symbolism as ‘Nahuṣa’s hand’, the offender shrinking back; gold leaf time-horizon, ornate borders, rich warm tones, regal silhouette in the distance with haloed authority.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: dawn sky with delicate gradients, the future figure of Nahuṣa faint on the horizon, the speaker calm and precise; cool blues with soft gold, refined linework, poetic sense of time and distance.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines, symbolic hand of destiny prominent, the offender rendered with asuric features, Nahuṣa as a stylized royal figure; strong pigments, temple narrative clarity, rhythmic composition.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: destiny motif framed by lotus borders, a stylized hand and horizon line, peacocks facing the rising sun; deep blue cloth with gold and pastel accents, intricate floral patterns suggesting time’s unfolding."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Bhupali","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"serene","sound_elements":["soft conch in distance","morning birds","gentle wind","long silence between phrases"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ‘नहुषस्यैव’ = नहुषस्य + एव (अ + ए → ऐ); ‘मृत्युर्भविष्यति’ = मृत्युः + भविष्यति (विसर्ग + भ् → र्भ्); ‘यथैव’ = यथा + एव (आ + ए → ऐ)।
FAQs
Nahūṣa is a renowned royal figure in Purāṇic tradition, often connected with themes of power, downfall, and karmic consequence; here he is named as the agent through whom death will occur.
The verse underscores accountability and consequence: actions and destinies may unfold through specific agents, and arrogant or premature claims (“speaking as if already born/established”) are implicitly criticized.
In isolation, it functions more as a moral-prophetic statement within a narrative or dialogue rather than a direct teaching on bhakti or ritual; its focus is fate, speech, and consequence.