Padma Purana — Srishti Khanda, Shloka 75
The Tārakāmaya War: Divine Mustering, Māyā Countermeasures, Aurva Fire, and Viṣṇu’s Slaying of Kālanemi
एकस्त्वमनपत्यश्च गोत्रा याऽन्यो न विद्यते । कौमारं व्रतमास्थाय क्लेशमेवानुवर्तसे
ekastvamanapatyaśca gotrā yā'nyo na vidyate | kaumāraṃ vratamāsthāya kleśamevānuvartase
তুমি একা এবং নিঃসন্তান; তোমার গোত্রে আর কেউ নেই। তবু কৌমার্য-ব্রত গ্রহণ করে তুমি কেবল কষ্টই অনুসরণ করছ।
Unspecified (context-dependent dialogue within Sṛṣṭikhaṇḍa 41)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: ekastvamanapatyaśca = ekaḥ + tvam + anapatyaḥ + ca; yā'nyo = yaḥ + anyaḥ; vratamāsthāya = vratam + āsthāya; kleśamevānuvartase = kleśam + eva + anuvartase.
FAQs
It critiques undertaking a celibate-youth vow (kaumāra-vrata) when one is the sole bearer of a lineage and has no offspring, implying that such a choice brings unnecessary hardship and neglects familial/social duties.
It generally points to a celibate discipline associated with youth or lifelong brahmacarya-like restraint, often praised for austerity but here questioned due to the practical dharmic context of lineage continuation.
It highlights the tension between personal ascetic vows and contextual dharma—especially responsibilities to family and lineage—suggesting that vows should be aligned with one’s life-situation rather than adopted in a way that leads only to suffering.