Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 18
Indumatī’s Auspicious Dream and the Prophecy of a Viṣṇu-Portioned Son
विप्रो गेहं विशन्दृष्टः किमिदं स्वप्नकारणम् । शौनक उवाच । वरो दत्तस्तु ते पूर्वं दत्तात्रेयेण धीमता
vipro gehaṃ viśandṛṣṭaḥ kimidaṃ svapnakāraṇam | śaunaka uvāca | varo dattastu te pūrvaṃ dattātreyeṇa dhīmatā
ব্রাহ্মণের গৃহকে এমন বিচিত্র অবস্থায় দেখে সে বিস্মিত হয়ে ভাবল—“এ স্বপ্নসম দৃশ্যের কারণ কী?” শৌনক বললেন—“পূর্বে প্রাজ্ঞ দত্তাত্রেয় তোমাকে এক বর প্রদান করেছিলেন।”
Śaunaka
Concept: Extraordinary experiences are often the ripening of prior blessings; remembering past boons clarifies present confusion.
Application: When life shifts suddenly, review prior commitments, blessings, and vows; align current actions with the conditions of earlier promises.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Śaunaka, serene and luminous, raises a hand as if to still the king’s confusion, reminding him of an earlier boon from Dattātreya. In the background, the brāhmaṇa’s house appears subtly altered—too radiant, too orderly—like a waking dream made solid by grace.","primary_figures":["Śaunaka Ṛṣi","The King (rājā)","Dattātreya (as a visionary inset/flashback)"],"setting":"A threshold scene between palace and a brāhmaṇa dwelling; a flashback vignette shows Dattātreya granting a boon beneath a sacred tree.","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["saffron","pearl white","celadon green","sunlit gold","indigo"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Śaunaka seated with a calm gesture of instruction, the king listening; behind them a glowing brāhmaṇa house with auspicious symbols; an inset medallion shows Dattātreya with three heads and four arms (or traditional iconography), blessing with gold leaf halo, rich reds/greens, ornate borders and gem-like highlights.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a two-register composition—foreground dialogue with delicate brushwork; background flashback of Dattātreya under a tree near a small hermitage; cool greens and blues, refined faces, lyrical naturalism, subtle architectural lines.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; Śaunaka’s teaching gesture emphasized; Dattātreya depicted in iconic form within a circular aura; warm yellow background, red and green garments, temple-wall aesthetic with patterned borders.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: central sage-king dialogue framed by lotus creepers; a circular ‘darśana’ medallion of Dattātreya above, surrounded by floral motifs; deep blue ground with gold and white detailing, symmetrical decorative borders."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["temple bells","low drone (tanpura)","wind through leaves","soft conch"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: किमिदं = किम् + इदम्; दत्तस्तु = दत्तः + तु
FAQs
Śaunaka is the speaker, clarifying that the strange, dream-like situation is connected to a boon earlier granted by the sage Dattātreya.
It suggests an experience that appears unreal or dream-like, often indicating divine intervention, a boon’s effect, or a reality altered by spiritual power.
The verse points to karmic and spiritual causality: extraordinary events are not random but may arise from prior blessings, vows, or divine-granted boons.